About Herts Young Mariners Base

Welcome to the 2008 brochure for the Herts Young Mariners Base.

We hope you will find something in these pages to interest and inspire you.

With the wide range of personal skills and leader/coach training courses in kayaking, canoeing, sailing, windsurfing, climbing and caving along with day and weekend trips to other venues, we hope we can satisfy your needs.

If you have a disability we will do our best to meet your individual requirements by providing a hoist to enable transfers to watercraft, and adapting other equipment to suit.
Widening opportunities include boat maintenance, Duke of Edinburgh's Award Open Award Centre and a film project for young people and leaders.

We continue to keep the costs low thanks to the support of Hertfordshire Adult and Family Learning, who also enable us to offer concessions to adults in receipt of benefit.

If you are involved in school or other youth groups we are pleased to work with you to deliver courses to meet the aims and objectives of your group.

The Centre is fully licensed by AALA (Adventure Activities Licensing Authority) as well as being inspected by the RYA (Royal Yachting Association) and BCU (British Canoe Union). As part of Hertfordshire’s Youth Service all staff are checked through the CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) system and the centre follows all the Health and Safety Policies of Hertfordshire County Council, thereby complying with all the requirements of the guidelines.

We hope you find what you want on our web site, if not please contact us on 01992 628403

On behalf of all our staff I would like to wish you an exciting year and look forward to seeing you in 2008.

Yours sincerely

Ron Hodgson.
Head Of Centre

1998 saw the opening of the New base buildings. After 6 years of planning, consultation and fundraising, the new £1 million base is finished and in full operation. The original centre opened in 1954, using old Victorian buildings as equipment stores and offices. In recent years, the buildings have become beyond economical repair, and too small to support the growing level of activity. Thus the plan to demolish and build a new centre was born.

As well as the new centre facilities, the Base also has the first ever combined outdoor climbing wall and purpose designed caving complex, which now adds two more exciting activities to those already on offer.

HYMB has a reputation for excellence and professionalism and operates to the highest safety standards. In 1997 the centre obtained their Activity Centre License, certificate no. RO447. For land based activities away from Cheshunt the Centre is covered by the Hertfordshire County Council Youth and Community Activity License no RO 574. The centre is recognised as a teaching establishment by the Royal Yachting Association and operates to the standards of the British Canoe Union, Mountain Leader Training Board and National Caving Association.

During 1999 we were inspected by a variety of organisations starting with Ofsted who stated:

"... the Herts Young Mariners Base is an excellent facility that has been redeveloped recently through a successful lottery bid. It provides a range of watersports, caving and climbing activities with an experienced team of outdoor specialists. It has an outstanding safety record and is affiliated to the British Canoe Union, Royal Yachting Association, British Mountaineering Council and Royal Lifesaving Society." (Reference: 183/99/DS Hertfordshire Youth Service.)

A further inspection by the Adventure Activity Licensing Authority (part of the Health and Safety Executive) granted a 2 year license for the centre.

HYMB offers courses and activities for all those above the age of 9 and of all abilities so the whole family can be involved.

Schools, Colleges and Businesses

HYMB is pleased to be able to offer year round high quality courses for schools colleges or businesses, specifically designed to meet their individual needs and requirements. We offer an exciting range of both land and water activities which can take the form of a a one off multi-activity day, or a series of sessions on one activity. The choice is yours- we will cater for your needs.

All our courses and activities are staffed by instructors qualified in the appropriate field of activity and work to Hertfordshire County Council policies.

Whatever activity or course you choose, and whatever your level of ability, we will ensure that the Herts Young Mariners Base Experience is one that you will value and remember (and tell your friends!)