External trainers and assessors

Graham Gain

Graham spent 10 years teaching PE within the state sector before moving into the field of outdoor education. Amongst other roles he was, for over 10 years, the Operations Manager for one of the UK’s leading outdoor education and adventure companies. He has extensive experience in the development of activities and staff training programmes, risk assessment and safety criteria and best practice policies in addition to working closely with many National Governing Bodies and Local Education Authorities. He has also been closely involved in the development and implementation of highly successful adventure activity programmes in the UK and Europe with companies such as Pontins and Center Parcs.

We are delighted that Graham has joined as our Safety Consultant and in addition to the ongoing development of existing activities he will also be advising on the introduction of new activities and ensuring continued improvements in safety and service quality by making regular visits to The Chateau to audit procedures and delivery standards.

Janet Huggins

Janet has been involved in the sport of Fencing for over 40 years. Following a successful competitive career, which included winning numerous county, regional and open titles, she began coaching in the 1980’s.

Janet is a fully qualified County Coach and actively coaches at club level as well as delivering and assessing the British Fencings Teachers Award. She is also a member of the Armourers Guild as a Master Armourer and is heavily involved in the running of both National and International fencing competitions.

Janet is delighted to be associated with The Chateau and this year she has spent time there successfully training and assessing our fencing staff. They all now hold the nationally recognised qualification of the British Fencing Teachers Award.

Philip van Buren

Philip van Buren has been involved in archery for over 30 years and during that time he has shot for Great Britain four times, become UK champion five times and won numerous County and Regional Championships. Philip is a GNAS County, Regional, Senior and International Coach and in addition to being a fully accredited D32/33 NVQ Assessor he has also been an assessor of archery coaches since 1980 and has probably tutored more GNAS Courses than any other Senior Coach in the UK.

Philip has joined The Chateau team as archery coach and advisor. He has trained and assessed all of our animateurs to deliver archery safely and to a high standard as well as advising on our archery range and equipment. He will also be spending time at The Chateau during the season to ensure continued progress in terms of session development.

Hilary and John Palmer

Hilary has trained the animateurs for the British Orienteering Federation’s Level 1 Coach Award and they have been assessed in the safe and effective teaching of the sport to beginners at the Chateau.

Hilary is a competitive orienteer who has regularly been a member of the England team in the Veteran’s Home International. She teaches the sport to school children in Nottinghamshire and trains teachers and outdoor centre staff as well as coaching her club’s juniors.

John’s main sporting achievements were in the sphere of racket sports (county tennis and squash and squash for Wales) but back injuries forced his retirement and the introduction of the family to orienteering. His role at The Chateau was to assess the instructors for the BOF Coach award.