A day in the life of...
Snow Camp
Cormac Whelan is programme director at Snow Camp. He oversees its 12-month programme, managing approximately 1,000 young people, and coordinating the training programme, both on the slopes in four UK snow domes and in Andorra, and off the slopes with industry partners and well-being specialists.
My day to day job varies, depending on the time of year. Our programme is a personal development programme for young people that uses snowsports as a tool to open their minds and change their perspectives, and there are different stages throughout the year.
Now, in August, we’re in the middle of First Tracks, our start of the year summer programme that engages with about 1,000 young people across the UK.
A large part of my role is supporting the programme managers to find and build relationships with community charities, CICs and grassroots projects to ensure we’re reaching the right people. We’re looking to connect with young people who’ve perhaps realised that school isn’t for them, or that life in general is not going very well, and they need something extra. Interestingly, a lot of young people who join our programme aren’t even into sports, then all of a sudden snowsports becomes their thing and they’re hooked.
I think one of the major benefits of snowsports is that failing – and learning to deal with it – is a huge part. You’re going to fall flat on your face, everyone does, and that’s fine. But that can throw up a lot of emotions and that’s where our well-being managers come in.
Our programmes take place at four indoor snow dome centres across the UK and I love the days I spend at those – it’s like a huge, really supportive youth club on snow, with many of the young people who’ve previously been with us returning to help, and the camaraderie and friendships just keep on growing. The atmosphere helps them face their failures – we provide them with the space to be vulnerable, and to be supported by their peers. Plus, young people who’ve had tough upbringings tend to have to grow up quickly, so we provide a safe space for them to be young again, to connect with something new, and to hopefully fall in love with it.
As the year progresses, our programme evolves and my job changes. Through our partners in the ski industry, we provide opportunities for our apprentices to get a taste of what their future could be like, perhaps working as a chalet host, ski instructor or nanny, and give them some in-the-mountains, on-the-ground experience. Alongside this, I’m preparing for our end-of season residential in Andorra, where we take 80 to 100 young people out to the mountains for a ski trip. I’m so proud of the fact that seven out of 10 apprentices went on to work in the snowsports industry.
the hardest thing...
…is having to say no to the young people that want to continue their journey with us. We only have limited places – starting with 1,000, then bringing that down to 300 and finally 100, and it’s really tough deciding who’s going to get the most out of it.
The best thing...
…is seeing the change in a young person’s life from when they started with us – simply by us creating a positive environment for them.
Snow Camp harnesses the power of skiing and snowboarding to break down barriers, broaden horizons and raise aspirations for young people across the UK: charitable.travel/snow-camp
This is a feature from Issue 18 of Charitable Traveller.
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