Session 2 – Venues
Session 2 – Venues
Objectives
1. Describe the planning process for a residential experience.
2. Evaluate the effectiveness of a venue for a residential experience.
Topics covered
- choosing a site/venue
- knowledge of area
- rules and regulations
- transport
- planning a layout
- leaving a venue
Key messages
There are various options when it comes to finding a venue for a residential experience and each has its own advantages and disadvantages.
It's good practice to have a checklist for assessing a site or venue and to visit it before committing to booking. This checklist should also include travel.
Task (15 minutes)
Choosing a venue
Split the participants into their groups and ask them to devise a checklist for choosing and assessing the suitability of a venue.
Considering the features of the residential experiences, what should they look for, what do they need to know in advance about the experience and about the venue?
Report back (10 minutes)
Using the task they have just done, get the groups to report back on their checklists.
Their checklists should include:
- type of residential experience
- time of year
- purpose of experience
- age of participants
- leaders’ capabilities and skills
- facilities needed
- facilities at venue
- amenities nearby
- access at the venue
- rules and regulations of the venue
- emergency facilities
- activities at the venue
- transport to venue – how do we get there?
- transport for equipment
Two of the factors affecting the success of a residential experience are where they choose to go - the place and the environment, and the layout of the site - making sure that the basic facilities are available and well planned.
There are various options when it comes to finding a suitable venue for a residential experience and each has its own advantages and disadvantages.
In an open discussion, ask the participants where they would look for potential venues and draw out the following:
Other leaders
Talking to other leaders who have experience of running similar events is a good start, as their experience is invaluable. They could also ask other volunteers like Nights Away Advisers. Each individual will have their ‘favourite’ places so remember to follow your checklist.
The Internet
This is an invaluable tool for researching locations and determining possible venues. Remember that commercial venues may not be suitable to Scouting activities.
Scout Adventure Centres
The Scout Association has several national Scout Adventures Centres with the specific aim of providing resources to enable Scouts to take part in residential and outdoor activities.
Scout venues and campsites
There are also local Scout venues and campsites all over the United Kingdom and, of course, in other parts of the world.
Prohibited and restricted camping areas
This list is arranged by location and gives details of the venue and the reason why it should not be used, or used with caution. They should consult this in the early stages of planning. The reasons they are prohibited may be due to geographical circumstances, for example being prone to flooding or can be found next to a firing range, or because an adverse experience has been recorded against it.
Scouting magazine
Scouting magazine carries adverts for venues in the back pages of most editions.
Note: facilities listed in the advertising pages of the magazine do not come with national endorsement, leaders must still undertake the same checks as if they sourced the site themselves.
Choosing your site
The choice of where to go depends on several factors: cost and accessibility of transport to get there, the purpose of the event, the time of the year and so on.
There are other sites and places such as National Trust properties, privately owned land and public sites which can be used. However, all of these will need to be checked against the above list and permission granted before setting up camp. If they wish to camp on common land or other local areas, make certain that local bye-laws do not prohibit camping. Scouts do not have the right to camp anywhere they like!
Local attractions and activities
Most venues are able to supply information about local attractions and activities and in some cases can help with booking them. The local Tourist Information Centre and libraries are also a good source of information about the locality. It's also good practice to visit a site before you book it so that you can be sure it meets with requirements.
Task (15 minutes)
Split the participants into their groups and ask them to think about transport to a residential experience. Ask the group to discuss the pros and cons of using the following methods:
- getting there on your own
- using parents
- group/section minibus
- hired bus/coach
- public transport
Report back (5 minutes)
Using the task they have just done, get the groups to report back on their lists, and try to pull out some of the following details:
Payment
- make sure there is a transport budget available
- work out how the fuel will be paid for
- make sure private vehicles are insured properly (road tax, and number of people they can carry)
- if hiring transport ensure use of a reputable company
Drivers
- do the drivers have the correct licence to drive the vehicle used, and with any trailers if being used?
- if travelling long distances, decide if they need more than one driver
- plan if they will require a driver for the whole of the event
- if the driver is involved in activities, there may be a need for someone else to drive home
- ensure have they undergone the correct safeguarding checks
Seating arrangements
- need for child car seats?
- are there seatbelts?
- is there enough room for passengers to be comfortable and safe?
Transporting equipment
- separate transportation for kit and equipment?
- make sure vehicles are not overloaded
- are there appropriate arrangement for transporting gas bottles or other dangerous substances?
- is there room for trailers on site?
- are there parking facilities?
Checking vehicle
- need to make sure any vehicles used are in a suitable condition (roadworthy/seaworthy etc.)
Lifts from parents
- if using parents to take young people from other families, make sure there is enough room and that the driver can cope with children, and that there is some kind of recognition or reward for them
- make sure you have parental consent and the correct safeguarding checks have been completed. If parents giving lifts are not occasional helpers, make sure that it is clear when seeking parental consent that the parent giving the lift has not been through our safeguarding checks
- if the event is local, ask parents to drop young people off, as they would for a normal weekly meeting
Greener alternatives
- if possible and convenient public transport should be considered. There may be group discounts available
- van for equipment while leaders and young people use public transport
- think about how many adults you may need to escort the young people if using public transport
- make the journey part of the event by including bike ride or hike
Task (15 minutes)
Explain to participants that a layout for the residential experience is an important part of planning. If they are indoors, then this has a larger effect on their make their decisions, but the same principles apply.
Prepare a large visual using Appendix 2, which is a campsite layout with all of its components. Ask participants where to put each of the components, thinking about the advantages and disadvantages.
The purpose of this task is to get participants to think about the site itself and to draw out any rules and regulations, good practice and advice when planning the layout. The suggested method uses a campsite as an example.
Alternatively you could use a variety of venues, real or fictional and get each group to run the task on each of the different types of venue (greenfield, campsite, indoor venue, lightweight camping). If you have local campsites you could use these and include pictures or visits to the site, to make it more interactive. If the training is taking part on a residential weekend you could incorporate this into the set-up for the weekend to make it an active learning experience.
If the participants are planning a real experience they should use the maps and information they have from these venues and include a visit to the site. This could be asked for in advance of the training.
Report back (15 minutes)
Using the task they have just done, get the groups to report back on their lists, use the large visuals where necessary. While doing this you should draw out the following key points:
- separation of male and female, young people and adults
- distances between areas
- space for recreation
- kitchen close to water supply
- central area with things like First Aid, Quartermaster’s stores
- dining shelter/area should be close to kitchen to stop food going cold, but not in line with smoke from the fire if outside
- latrines should be downwind of the camp but not too far away and downstream if camping by water
- washing area should be positioned between latrines and camp
- water points should be positioned where any spill water can drain away
- separate male/female, young people and adult areas for personal washing
- features such as trees, lakes and power cables
- appropriate siting of gas and other cooking appliances together with suitable ventilation
Discuss with participants what activities they could do with young people before the experience, to involve them in planning the layout. This could include the following:
- an actual dummy run setting up a camp
- using photographs and ordinance survey maps to create a scale model
- creating a small scale paper model
- games and quizzes
Hiring indoor premises
If using an indoor venue they need to check whether utilities are included. Equipment and electrical appliances should be checked to ensure they are safe to use. The equipment may vary so they need to ask – there may be cutlery when you visit but it might not be included in their package. They also need to ensure that there is space indoors for activities if the weather prevents activities outdoors. You should be able to see the premises risk assessment, this will help inform your event risk assessment. Make sure you are familiar with any emergency procedures for the building and what warning systems are in place for both fire and carbon monoxide.
Rules and emergency procedures
Whether indoors or on a campsite, they need to check what the rules and regulations are, and what emergency procedures and facilities are in place. Ensure that everyone is aware of these.
Packing up
Packing up after the event is a skill. It’s amazing how much mess can be made. By keeping things tidy as you go, it will be easier to leave the site in a good condition without too much extra time needed. You will need to consider the following:
- pay bills
- pack personal kit
- collect all equipment and check site
- invite warden/caretaker to check to make sure they are happy
- report any safety concerns
- sweep and dispose of all litter
If they have hired or borrowed any equipment make sure they made an exact list of what it is, the condition on collection, and when it needs to be returned.
In summary, let participants know that in this session they have demonstrated how to plan a checklist for venues and assess suitability, assess transportation to a residential experience and plan a layout for a venue. Ask if there are any questions.
Resources
For this session you require the following resources:
- flipchart and paper
- pens and pencils
- paper
- copies of Appendix 2: Camp layout (if relevant)