This page is about the Youth & Development Working Group. For more general information check out the Youth & Development page.
About
The Y&D is one of the BCA’s Working Groups, who meet as necessary to discuss matters relating to supporting youth caving and developing diversity and inclusion within the BCA.
We have done so by bringing together the National Caving Scout Active Support Unit (NCSASU) the Council of Higher Education Caving Clubs (CHECC) and other BCA volunteers. This has helped us to learn from each other and support the different projects each section has going on.
The Y&D Officer is both the convenor of the Y&D Working Group and a BCA Council member.
Y&D Activities
- Representing interests of young people on BCA council, with previous successes including making BCA membership for under 18s free
- Providing support for CHECC to help universities facing struggles by attending meetings with their unions, providing financial support, or assisting with paperwork
- Promoting better diversity by improving inclusivity within caving, including taking on cases of age discrimination.
- Working with Chris Boardman, BCA Safeguarding Officer, to offer advice to clubs on how to make themselves more family friendly and engage with youth caving.
- Supporting newly formed caving clubs by drafting paperwork such as constitutions, risk assessments and good practice guidelines.
- Engaging with volunteer groups and pooling resources to help projects get off the ground that have a long term benefit for caving.
Policies & Guidelines
- Guidelines for University and College Caving Clubs
- Guidance for the establishment and operation of university and college clubs within the informal environment of recreational caving.
- BCA Youth and Development Lend to Buy Scheme
- A BCA financial scheme to provide substantial assistance to new clubs aimed at under-18s or those in further education, to help them purchase equipment to get started.
- BCA Youth and Development Kit Loan Scheme
- A financial scheme for smaller loans to support existing university clubs, administered by CHECC and BCA in collaboration.
Working Group Reports
- May 2023
- January 2023
- June 2022 AGM report
- December 2021
- May 2021
- March 2021
- October 2020 AGM report
- August 2020