The ABC Training Trust (known as NICAS) is a registered charity (number 1123559) set up by the
Association of British Climbing Walls (ABC) in 2008 to administer the NICAS schemes. Day to day, we refer to the charity and our team as NICAS, as this is our key brand name which is recognised by climbing walls, candidates and parents alike.
NICAS is run by a Board of nine Trustees and a part-time Officer team. Our Memorandum and Articles of Association have been designed to ensure that ABC members have a say in how we deliver our remit. We also work closely with coaches and Technical Experts so we can support climbing facilities in their delivery of the schemes.
The Trust is able to recruit independent Trustees to ensure a breadth of experience, skills and knowledge. The Trustee representation is drawn from five ABC Approved Member walls (with a wide diversity in their size, ownership and management) and up to four independent Trustees chosen for their particular business skills. Terms last for 3 years and elections take place every year at our AGM.
We have two ambassadors, mountaineer
Kenton Cool and professional climber
Hazel Findlay. Read more about their links with our schemes
here.
Our Trustees
Our Trustees can each serve up to two terms each of three years in post on our Board, and are voted in by the ABC at each year's AGM. The ABC-appointed Trustee has no time limit on their term of office.
Our Board comprises:
- Andrew Link - Interim Chair - Independent Trustee
- Dave Stainthorpe - Treasurer, Eden Rock, ABC Member Wall Trustee
- Dean Straw - Mile End Climbing Wall, ABC Member Wall Trustee
- Jeremy Tapping - Westway Climbing Centre, ABC Member Wall Trustee
- Ben Levey - Castle Climbing Centre, ABC Member Wall Trustee
- Lee Browning - The Boardroom Climbing Centre, ABC-appointed Trustee
- Jon Chittenden - Independent Trustee
- Carys Rowlands - Independent Trustee
- Ian C B Taylor - Independent Trustee
Find out more about our Trustees here.
All our Trustees complete Conflict Of Interest declarations which are reviewed at every Board meeting, so that we can ensure all decisions taken are scrutinised thoroughly without undue bias.
We are able to invite advisors if required and have recently co-opted Ken Garner who brings strong financial management experience.
We also have Observers who provide a valuable input and insight to the Board. Observers are invited to attend on an occasional basis. We have agreements in place to invite Observers from the BMC, Mountain Training UK, Mountaineering Scotland (Climb Scotland) and Mountaineering Ireland.
Interested in applying to become a Trustee? We usually seek applicants in late Spring / early Summer as vacancies arise ready for the AGM. Details of the applicants sought and the process will be published in our News section.
Our Board is committed to following to the Voluntary Code of Good Governance as defined by the Sport and Recreation Alliance. The Code was created by the sector, for the sector, and can be used by organisations to demonstrate a commitment to improving and maintaining good governance.
Staff
We are currently in the midst of some exciting changes at the ABCTT. Our part time Officer team who manage the day to day delivery of our Schemes, dealing with climbing centres around the world, are moving on to pastures new. After a full review of our structure we are in the midst of recruiting full time staff to manage and grow the schemes for the future. Our Executive and Technical Officer functions will be combined and further details will be made available shortly. We have recently recruited a full time Membership Manager, Abbi Blakey. Having previously worked part time for the schemes on specific projects; Abbi brings continuity of expertise as well as a customer focussed approach for our Members: the 230+ walls who run NICAS and NIBAS.
Technical Experts
We are lucky to have access to a group of highly-experienced Technical Experts, who come from a variety of climbing backgrounds and all act as advisors to climbing facilities. Our Technical Experts carry out our moderation visits to centres and sometimes deliver training to coaches. They are:
Click on each name to see their Mountain Training record. The Tech Expert team are supported by our Technical Officer, Tim Miller.
We have a vacancy for London and the South East at present - contact us if you hold MIA, Development Coach, or equivalent and have extensive experience of a TA-like role with artificial climbing structures.Screening Committee
The Screening Committee are assisted by our Technical Officer who acts as liaison between centres and the committee if any technical queries arise. Our Technical Officer also heads up our Coach Development Team, members of which are listed in our Organisational chart (see below).
- Tom Williams - NICAS Awarding Centre Course Director
- Melissa Bacon - NICAS Awarding Centre Course Director, member of Coach Development Team (CDT)
- Graham Little - NICAS Technical Advisor, member of CDT
- Rob Watts - NICAS & NIBAS PC Course Director
- Andy Newton - NICAS Technical Advisor
- Chas Hall - NICAS Course Director, member of CDT
- Tim Miller - Technical Officer, NIBAS Primary Centre Course Director, head of CDT
- Oz Fry - NIBAS Competent Person
- Will McEvoy - NICAS Awarding Centre Course Director
The complete Organisational chart can be seen
here.