Mentoring Scheme

As an outdoor education practitioner, I've been wanting to take my bushcraft skills to the next level as I felt that they had plateaued out, I needed something to push me to the next level. Dave Watson already had a great reputation as a bushcraft instructor and his Mentoring scheme not only has the flexibility to cover bushcraft skills that I wanted to choose for myself, but it also kept me accountable to make time in my own schedule to practice those skills and apply them to my sessions.

Dave is an excellent mentor, he is a patient teacher and doesn't just give you the answers but helps you come to your own conclusions so you understand the why behind the what.

The formal training (and continued support) I receive from Dave, has enabled me to not only greatly build on my own skillset but also to understand how to deliver these skills to a range of clients with differing needs and abilities. This has allowed our own outdoor education business to grow and improve the quality of what we're offering.

I can quite honestly say that I would not be in this line of work if it were not for Dave. Since the moment I met him, he has been inspiring and supportive with a uniquely unwavering passion and drive that extends through all elements of his work.

Choosing to do the mentoring scheme was one of the best decisions I've made. It has provided me with a community of peers and a structure for gaining experience in a way that suits both myself and the content. I have had an outstanding year (2019): Iam constantly learning and being challenged. which is exactly what I'd hoped for. With every opportunity to grow, there is an opportunity to reflect and I feel very safe in doing this honestly with Dave.

I have been on Dave's IMS course for around 18 months. I have found it invaluable in building up my confidence and developing my skill set. Dave has a wonderful ability to encourage you to push yourself and do more without making you feel inferior. He has given me confidence to start to go out and pass on some of those skills. Dave is passionate about bushcraft both the practice and the theory, so not only can he do things well but also knows why things might not have worked, and he encourages his students to develop an understanding of why and how techniques like the bow drill work and what might have gone wrong if it doesn't. Dave is willing to spend the time with you as an individual if there is something you are struggling with. He wants you to succeed.

From the skills I have learnt on this course and the confidence Dave has given me I have just started running bushcraft sessions for people with long term health conditions. I love being able to use the skills I have learnt and see other people succeed in what they do. Dave has not only given me skills but taught me how to pass on those skills.

I have more confidence in myself, as a person, through being on this course. I would thoroughly recommend it.

I joined the mentoring scheme to expand my knowledge of bushcraft. The format and flexibility made fitting in training days easy and the opportunity to test skills learnt and improve delivery of those skills was invaluable. It is not only being able to deliver the skills, but the depth of knowledge gained which allowed me greater understanding, that now allows me to trouble shoot where clients I work with are going wrong giving them a much better experience.

Since completing the mentoring scheme I have also started my own small Bushcraft and Wilderness Skills business which is gradually building, without the knowledge and experience I gained from the mentoring scheme this would not have been as successful and with each bit of feedback I receive I can directly link most of it to what I have learned during my time on the mentoring scheme. Dave has also been extremely supportive with me in my new endeavours.

Being on the mentoring scheme with Dave has hugely developed my depth of understanding of the key principles of Bushcraft. The scheme has given me lots of opportunities to improve my own professional practice, work alongside a range of different instructors, develop my own teaching style and meet a range of people within the industry.

I'd highly recommend the instructor mentoring scheme to anyone who is actively looking to improve their understanding, confidence and skill in delivering high quality Bushcraft sessions.

After I took one of the Woodland Survival Crafts courses I was offered a place on the Mentoring Scheme. This gave me the support and opportunities to refine my technique as well as share best practise with other mentees over several camps. Dave has consistently encouraged us to explore the limits of techniques and do our own research over a large range of topics. As a result of Dave's guidance I have had the confidence to develop my own business which uses the Bushcraft techniques I have learnt and refined with Dave to teach a large range of Science topics up to GCSE.