Lake District National Park Authority: Training for Volunteers

Equality Works was initially commissioned to provide a one-day pilot programme entitled, ‘Our National Park – A place for everyone to enjoy’. The aim of the training was to assist volunteers in dealing with the equality issues involved in welcoming visitors from a diverse range of backgrounds to the national park.

The course took place in September 2007 and incorporated a range of activities, including the use of good practice case studies, specially designed audio-clips and scenario-based skills practice. Feedback showed the course to be well received. All delegates were satisfied with both the content and the style of training and the majority of delegates felt the level and pace of the course were right and that the course met its objectives well.

As a result of feedback from volunteers and discussion with Lake District National Park Authority representatives, a follow-up Action Sheet was developed for volunteers to complete after the session, to record their learning and what they might do differently as a result of the training. This was subsequently incorporated into further one-day sessions.

All training was based on the materials developed for the pilot programme and focused on building volunteers’ knowledge and understanding of both the barriers to different groups of people in using the Park and ways in which they can help them to overcome these barriers so that the Park can be fully used and enjoyed by all visitors, including disabled visitors, black and minority ethnic visitors and visitors from more deprived parts of the county.

In addition to this programme of one-day training events for volunteers, we developed a one hour ‘carousel’ session which was incorporated into the Event Leaders’ training. This focused on two specific areas adapted from the full day programme: good practice and understanding diverse groups.  It has now become a standard part of the Event Leaders training.