Between the 23rd and 28th of October, Sebastian Cachia, a Gold Award Holder
andExpedition Assessor attended the Basic Expedition Leader Level 3 Training course. The BEL certificate is the required qualification for youth expedition leaders in the UK, and the experience he will be bringing back will help us increase the quality of the outdoor training we offer, as well as ensure that safety is consistently at the highest level possible.
The President’s Award course received the invitation for a member of our assessor team to attend this course by the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award – London as part of the relationship currently being developed between our two organisations. Sebastian has the following to say about the experience:
The BEL certificate qualifies leaders to train and lead groups of young people in lowland and non-remote areas of the United Kingdom. The skills I have picked up in the course will therefore be of great help for expeditions held in Malta for all three levels of the Award (Bronze, Silver and Gold). The course consisted of 5 intense days of training, with days beginning at 8 am and finishing off at 10pm and included not only classroom sessions on various topics but also practical outdoor leadership experiences through hikes and a 2 night journey. I was made welcome, not only by my host, Peter Fleet, Director of the DofE – London Region, but also by all the course participants who not only provided a valuable insight into how they run the Award in their respective schools and groups, but also ensured that the experience was not only educational but also loads of fun.
A consolidation period follows the course during which all participants must put to practice the skills they have learnt before progressing to assessment. In my case, I will not only be consolidating the knowledge gained during the course, but also be assisting the Training team of the President’s Award Malta with putting together training programmes for Award Supervisors, Instructors and Assessors in Malta.
