NICAS is run by a Board of nine Trustees and (since June 2019) a full time staff team of two. 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.
Our Trustees (Management Board)
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.
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.
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.
Technical Experts (moderation, training)
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. We will be working to reestablish this team after a pause in moderation but currently they are:
Click on each name to see their Mountain Training record.
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.Staff: Nick Parkin (MD) and Abbi Blakey (Membership)
After a full review of our structure we are now set up to run with two full time staff to manage and grow the schemes for the future.
Our Managing Director Nick Parkin's role is to give leadership and a full time decision making role to NICAS.
Membership Manager, Abbi Blakey started her role full time in April 2019. 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 240+ walls who run NICAS and NIBAS.
Screening Committee (review centre applications)
The Screening Committee are assisted by our Membership Manager who acts as liaison between centres and the committee if any technical queries arise and need to be reviewed.
- Graham Little - NICAS Technical Advisor, member of CDT
- Chas Hall - NICAS Course Director, member of CDT
- Tim Miller - Technical Officer, NIBAS Primary Centre Course Director, member of CDT
Coach Development Team (CDT)
The Coach Development Team are a team of highly skilled individuals, who deliver NICAS/NIBAS inductions and related training. Most have other involvement with our schemes in their "other" work lives too.
- Stephen Skinner - NICAS Course Director (The Lock)
- Melissa Bacon - NICAS Course Director (Oxford Brookes)
- Graham Little - NICAS Technical Advisor and Coach
- Joby Davis - NICAS Technical Advisor (multiple NICAS/NIBAS sites)
- Chas Hall - NICAS Course Director (Alter Rock)
- Tim Miller - NIBAS Course Director (Boulder Shack)
- Jon Chamberlain - NICAS Technical Advisor
- Pete Nellist - NICAS Course Director (The Peak)
- Leman Lemanski - NICAS Course Director (Dublin Climbing Centre)
- Niamh Burke - NICAS Course Director (Awesome Walls Dublin)
- Alan Halewood - NICAS Technical Advisor and Tech Expert
- Jamie Vardy - Climbing Coach
- Stuart Howard - Climbing Coach
- Danny Griffith - Climbing Coach
- Juliet Scott - NICAS Course Director (South Norfolk Climbing Club)
- Mark Garland - NICAS Technical Advisor
Ambassadors
We have two ambassadors, mountaineer Kenton Cool and professional climber Hazel Findlay. Read more about their links with our schemes here.