It is with regret that our Conservation and Access (C&A) Officer has stepped down. The BCA are therefore seeking someone to fulfil this voluntary role on an ‘acting’ basis until the AGM in June 2020 (and potentially beyond).
The C&A Officer is also the convenor of our C&A Standing Committee, a team open to all our Regional Councils and Constituent Bodies, which brings people together to discuss national C&A initiatives. This is the team that has previously brought you a CRoW policy statement, as well as the Minimal Impact Caving Guidelines. These help to provide a nationally agreed standard for access and conservation, and serve as guiding principles for regional councils and all cavers.
The official Terms of Reference for the C&A Committee are:
- To assist regional councils when requested.
- To produce guidelines and promotional materials to encourage conservation of underground environments.
- To campaign nationally to encourage conservation and improved access in line with BCA policy and constitution.
- To undertake other conservation or access related work as may be agreed by the committee.
The C&A Officer’s minimum duties are:
- To be the primary point of contact at BCA for C&A enquiries and matters.
- To arrange meetings (at least once annually) of the C&A Standing Committee.
- To report to BCA meetings, and advise Council of ongoing C&A matters.
You are not alone in this role; you have all the members of the C&A Standing Committee to support you and provide input and ideas, as well as secretarial support and website support from the BCA Secretary and webmaster respectively. The BCA is a team effort and we are keen to support anyone new coming into the role.
So how much time is involved and what skills are needed? Well, it is important that the C&A Officer is fairly computer-savvy and able to respond to incoming emails regularly and participate in occasional meetings usually via Webex/Skype. A proactive attitude and enthusiasm for the subject of C&A are of course extremely desirable, and outweigh the need for prior knowledge of BCA procedures. It would be reasonable to expect needing to set aside a few hours per week plus attendance at quarterly BCA meetings (travel expenses paid of course).
This role is a real chance to make a big difference to British Caving. We are still far from having the desired freedom of access to many caves and potholes across the UK, and conservation is an ever-ongoing project requiring both physical action and education. The difference the BCA C&A team can make is massive, and limited only by the enthusiasm and proactivity of our volunteers, and particularly the C&A Officer.
If this is something that interests you please contact the BCA Secretary to discuss - secretary@british-caving.org.uk
