The ABC Training Trust is a registered charity (number 1123559) set up by the
Association of British Climbing Walls (ABC) in 2008 to administer the NICAS scheme.
The ABCTT 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 members to ensure a breadth of experience, skills and knowledge. The trustee representation is now five ABC member walls (with a wide diversity in their size, ownership and management) and four non-ABC walls or independent members. Terms last for 3 years and elections take place every year at the ABCTT’s 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 ABC members at each year's AGM. The ABC-appointed representative has no 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
- Vacancy - 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 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 and Mountaineering Scotland (Climb Scotland) and are hoping to include Mountaineering Ireland.
Interesting in applying to become a Trustee? We seek applicants in late Spring / early summer each year as vacancies arise ready for the AGM in the autumn. 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.
Officers
Our Officer team manage the day to day delivery of our Schemes, dealing with climbing centres around the world. They are:
- Executive Officer - Martin Chester (interim: Brian McAlinden)
- Technical Officer - Iain McKenzie (interim: Tim Miller)
- Administration and Finance Officer - Anne Garnish
- Project Development Officer - Abbi Blakey
- Administrative support - Andrea Roxburgh
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, Iain McKenzie.
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
Our Screening Committee review all NICAS and NIBAS applications, advise on requests for changes of Course Director, Technical Advisor and Competent Person, and are available to help resolve complaints. They are:
- Martin Chester – ABCTT Executive Officer (casting vote)
- Paul Twomey - NIBAS Primary Centre Competent Person
- Tom Williams - NICAS Awarding Centre Course Director
- Melissa Bacon - NICAS Awarding Centre Course Director
- Graham Little - Independent advisor
- Oz Fry - NIBAS Awarding Centre Course Director
- Andy Newton - Technical Advisor
- Will McEvoy - NICAS Awarding Centre Coutse Director
The Screening Committee are assisted by Iain McKenzie, our Technical Officer, who acts as liaison between centres and the committee if any technical queries arise.
The Organisational chart can be seen
here.