Bushcraft course prices??

[Jonny Crockett]

Hi Gray,

I've been in this business a long time now and my insurance is well over £1,000. If you can really find a £350 insurance deal we will definitely pass that on to our customers. Please could you give me a call with the details (0871 222 7304)

 

[timboggle]

The JLT insurance that everyone jumped into through IOL, is exspensive, ours was about £1300 plus £100 for iol membership and if you trade under a company/limited name your getting whacked, quite a few insurance companies are offering much better deals now, shop around guys

 

[Rod]

I shopped around quite a bit and found the JLT gave the best levels of cover for the money: given the spectrum of topics that I am covering on courses.

Sorry that I missed the earlier parts of this thread

As to regulation: I would echo a good deal of what many of the school leaders have already have said. I have a couple of mates who help me out; and for instance: we all can make a bannock: but none of us do it the same way. We still get the same tasty end result, we just have our own foibles and eccentricities in the process. Doesn't mean that one is more right, or wrong than any of the others.

After all there is room for all around the fire.

 

[Toddy]

Don't laugh, it's not as daft sounding as it seems; but when I was looking for mine I was told that if what I did could be considered a public performance, then technically I could join the actor's union (......sorry, taking a break from packing and the brain refuses to engage, I can't remember the name of the blasted thing .......anyway) as a member the rates for the year which would cover me for teaching folks to use knives, light fires, build shelters, etc., was well under £150. But, it only covered *me* not my colleagues who had to join and insure themselves seperately.
Public can mean a very small audience

Re-enactor's like Wayland and Monarch, who make their livings doing the whole demo/ teach/ use big knives and the like, might be folks to ask too. I know Ian (Monarch/ battlescarweb) certainly provides cover for me and others when he asks us to work with him at different events.

Just a thought.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[timboggle]

Thats so true Toddy, bushcraft is now able to fall into the liesure and entertainments categories of some insurers, still giving good cover schemes rather the hard core outdoor activity providers policies of the past that threw us in with caving, kayaking, abseiling, climbing etc

If your confused about insurance or just starting out this link will give you good advice about what to do

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/layer?topicId=1074298750

 

[scanker]

Is Equity what's evading you?

 

[demographic]

The idea of regulating the courses as opposed to people just going on the ones with a good reputation would just put the prices up even more. The people running the courses already have to jump through a few hoops without paying the government more money, they would have to pass thet cost onto the customer.

Next time you call a plumber out and pay him , think about being carefull what you wish for as regards increasing bushcraft regulation

 

[firecrest]

People tend to assume that just because something is regulated, it means over regulated, or that everybody has to do it the same way. This isnt true, regulation simply means there is a standard, and that standard is usually in regards to saftey and environment. We have all seen bushcrafting videos pop up on youtube done by well meaning ameteurs who either damage resources (trees) or handle tools in an unsafe manner, and who basically , probably know jack about the subject. Id like to go to a school where I know the instructor didnt pick up his mushroom knowledge off a guy who trained under someone else and taught him a few edible ones and doesnt tell me survival techniques that might kill me (though bear grylls is allowed to do that on tv everyweek apparently) But most of all, if I were to invest that kind of money into taking a course, Id like it to be useful in a way of gaining employment. Yes Im happy to do a course purely for my own learning but the prices paid at this point in my life need to actually justified unfortunately.

 

[crazydave]

plumbers are an unfair reference as bushcraft hasn't got that bad unless you count some of the lack of value you get in all trades. I think woodlore is primarily to blame for the hike but they are probably responding to demand the in the rail company style by upping the prices to drive people away.

I do think all prices are hiked by the bushcraft tag and you cant claim operating costs being so high. for example webtex are selling the seychelles filer bottles under their brand at 50 quid each but the stateside cost is 20 quid on average. I've also read several grumbles recently about the UK price of kelly kettles for example.

 

[Kerne]

People tend to assume that just because something is regulated, it means over regulated, or that everybody has to do it the same way. This isnt true, regulation simply means there is a standard, and that standard is usually in regards to saftey and environment.

Good point - I have had some dodgy experiences in the mountains with kids up and under the guidance of "experts" - some of whom were less than sympathetic to both the kids and the environment. Many of them were climbers earning a crust to fund the next jaunt - fine, but it all seemed to be done with bad grace and the sincerity of an air hostess.

(BTW - some of my best friends are climbers! I have no desire to tar them all with the same brush.)

 

[FGYT]

one reason for a approved recognised Bushcraft cert
would be for getting permission to use land

lets face it most people only get to do bushcraft on courses and this is one or part of the reason why they do more courses
how many schools with land alow bushcrafters on with out being on a course as wild campers
i met one school who where thinking about it but would require all who wanted to use this to have done a basic course some where tho this gives no garentee of any level or quality to those you let on land with knives n axes

my PADI dive card is a world wide recognised level as are most other organisations (BSAC, SSA TDI INTD etc etc ) its also a caourse people complain about the cost (£299 ish for open water) where it no way covers the real cost
I still want to see the Log book of a diver but they have passed to a level ( bit like a driving licence dont mean you can do F1 )

im hoping to get a small holding in the future and if im lucky with woodland I would like to offer Wild camping etc but wouldnt want every tom dick n harry in there hacking away cause they did a basic course with Big N Green Survival (name made up as example any similarty to a real Co is purly coincidental)
So a Bushcraft passport would be usfull in that respect and maybe open up opertunity for those how cant afford a Wood of their own

ATB

Duncan


PS im a PADI instructor

 

[Gray]

PMs sent to everyone whos requested details, this is the company
http://www.thebatemangroup.co.uk/

 

[crazydave]

good luck with that, wild camping is a good market I reckon as long as the general numpty brigate dont turn up with their new saws and axes to chop everything down for burning. I've seen it with scout sites where they have to import the wood to save the trees. fortunately skip companies are happy to dump wood off for free. or at least they were.

I noticed it at the moot, everyone had to have a fire even though they werent there that often. maybe a mass produced hobo stove is an option as it will restrict the size of the fire.

 

[firecrest]

God yeah Kelly Kettles, infact any number of camping kettles for that matter, nobody is that gasping for a brew to justify fifty quid, I dont care how well it works!

 

[robin wood]

I ran a certified spooncarving course a few years ago through Archimedes training. They had secured some European funding that meant everyone got the course for £10. The drawback was that in order to prove that everyone had reached a certain standard there was piles of paperwork. We had to write up all the hurdles everyone was going to jump through then each student had to prove they had jumped. this meant lots of writing and recording with photographs and although some folk were pleased with their certificate and everyone appreciated the subsidy everyone disliked the paperwork.

I am sure that had I chosen to continue with them I could have simplified it and done more of the paperwork myself with less for the students but any accreditation process is going to involve added paperwork. At the end of the day most of these courses are leisure courses, I don't think you should view them as career training.

 

[Surrey Yeoman]

Now then, taking Woodlore as an example - and I'm not knocking them because I think their standard of instruction is top class - I've just done a very simplistic adding up of their income from courses over the forthcoming year (2009) and, not including the overseas expedition type courses, their UK based regular courses will bring in a minimum of £364,900.00. That's THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FIVE GRAND, all bar a hundred quid!
Even after all the costs of wages, insurance, rents and the like are taken into account, that's got to leave a right good wad for Mr Mears to tuck away in his wallet!


Makes you think a bit doesn't it?!

Further to the above post, I am now in possession of some facts as to the costs involved in the running of Woodlore's courses and the company's general running costs. As a result, frankly I'm amazed they can do what they do for the price!

RESPECT! for what they do and RESPECT! for the member of staff who took the time and trouble to contact me direct. (Just hope I haven't been blacklisted as a trouble-maker from future courses.)