Adventure Activities Safety and Quality in Northern Ireland
Sport Northern Ireland and DCAL are pleased to announce the implementation of ‘Adventuremark’ as a suitable adventure activity accreditation scheme for activity providers in Northern Ireland.
Adventuremark is a non-statutory safety scheme devised by the Adventure Activity Industry Advisory Committee (AAIAC) for providers of adventurous activities. It is operated on behalf of AAIAC by Adventure Activity Associates Ltd (3As).
Adventuremark is a UK wide accreditation scheme that inspects activity providers to ensure that the management, operating systems and personnel are appropriate to the scale and nature of adventurous provision and its intended target population.
In order to promote and implement the scheme in Northern Ireland, Sport Northern Ireland is pleased to provide a support mechanism for activity providers to reimburse the costs associated with the inspection and accreditation for Adventuremark.
Sport Northern Ireland has allocated a small grant funding to assist private and voluntary sector* adventure activity providers through the first two years of the scheme. Funding will be allocated on a ‘first come first served’ basis and there is £40,000 available in Year 1 and £7,500 in Year 2.
The maximum funding to an individual provider in Year 1 is £750 (maximum) and in Year 2 is £150 (maximum).
Please note that the fee is exclusive of VAT – as it will be up to the provider to pay the VAT themselves.
Sport Northern Ireland reimbursement will only be for the first two years after which it is expected that activity providers will have to cover the cost of their own accreditation.
It should be noted that all claims must be made by 31 March 2013 with the accreditation in place. An application form will be provided to accredited providers for funding in Year 2.
For details of how Adventuremark operates please visit www.adventuremark.co.uk
The process for the grant is as follows:
The accreditation for multi-activity providers is normally done directly by Adventure Activity Associates (3As), however there are a number of Adventuremark approved schemes that may be suitable for providers who are existing members or affiliates of the organisations who operate these schemes or who only offer a single activity (in the case of paddlesports (BCU), off-road cycling (MIAS) or Snowsports (BASI).
1. The provider will need to decide which route they wish to follow for accreditation:
a. Multi-activity providers will normally apply directly to 3As for their accreditation (www.adventuremark.co.uk).
b. Existing members or affiliates of the Association of Heads of Outdoor Education Centres (AHOEC) or the British Activity Holiday Association can either apply to these schemes or directly to 3As.
c. Activity providers who only offer a single activity in canoe sports, mountain biking or snow-sports can either apply directly to 3As or can go through one of the following schemes:
i. MIAS (Mountain Bike Instructors’ Award Scheme)
ii. BCU (British Canoe Union)
iii. BASI (British Association of Snowsport Instructors)
- Please note that the maximum funding available from Sport Northern Ireland is £750 in Year 1 and £150 in Year 2 and this corresponds with the cost of applying directly to 3As (i.e. the cost is £750 in Year 1 and £150 in Year 2).
- What ever route you choose for the accreditation you must either choose the most economical option or provide a rationale for why this option is not being used.
- If one of the schemes is used then you must be aware that, on top of the cost to the scheme administrator, there is a £180 fee to 3As for the administration and 10% sampling of inspections.
2. The provider then applies for and pays for Adventuremark.
3. Once they have been inspected and are approved they can apply via the online application form to Sport Northern Ireland for the grant..
4. They must submit their original invoice from AAA’s or from the approved scheme operators and a copy of their certificate. (Please note that if the application is through a scheme there is an additional fee of £150 + VAT payable for the Adventuremark accreditation to 3As).
5. Sport Northern Ireland will get written confirmation from AAIAC via 3As that the provider has been inspected and has been successfully accredited.
6. Sport Northern Ireland will release the funding directly to the applicant’s bank account.
Promotion of Adventuremark
This scheme has the support of Outdoor Recreation NI (formerly CAAN), the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) and SkillsActive, and its value has been recognised by Local Authorities’ Environmental Health Officers.
As part of their role as core funder of Outdoor Recreation NI, Sport Northern Ireland will provide Outdoor Recreation NI with a record of those who receive AdventureMark accreditation.
Outdoor Recreation NI is currently liasing with the Activity Tourism Working Group regarding tje portrayal and prominence of AdventureMark within their consumer websites i.e. OutdoorNI.com, CanoeNI.com, WalkNI.com, and CycleNI.com. Other providers will still be displayed on the website but those only those accredited will be:
- Featured on website home pages;
- Featured in e-marketing and social media activity;
- Included in or recommended to host press trips; and
- Included in promotional campaigns such as Northern Ireland Adventureland Weekend.
Discussions are ongoing with Education Services regarding the promotion of the scheme with schools, and Sport Northern Ireland will be marketing and promoting the value of the scheme to users in the spring time - once a critical mass of providers have achieved the accreditation.
For further details on Adventuremark go to www.adventuremark.co.uk
For further information on the funding scheme please contact:
Mike McClure
c/o Tollymore National Outdoor Centre
Bryansford
Co. Down
BT33 0PT
Tel: 028 9038 3855
Email: mikemcclure@sportni.net
* Note: Providers that are fully funded and managed by another public body will not eligible for funding.
