Do you have any jobs going at The Castle?
I want to work at The Castle, how do I apply?
There aren’t any vacancies – can I still get involved?
I’ve sent in my CV and letter. What happens now?
Do I have to be a climber?
Do you run a work experience programme?
What are the benefits of working at The Castle?
Do you employ freelance contractors?
What do I need to be an Instructor at The Castle?
Route setting looks fun. Can I try it?
I have more questions...
Do you have any jobs going at The Castle?
Sometimes. We’ll announce any job vacancies with posters in the centre, on our website (see our recruitment blog) and sometimes on UKClimbing.com.
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I want to work at The Castle, how do I apply?
Follow any instructions on our recruitment posters and notices. Trust me, it reflects better on you if you show us that you can follow instructions and send things in on time! Generally we ask you to email a CV and cover letter explaining why you want the job and highlighting any relevant experience you have and qualities you possess that will make you fit right in. The email address will be on the recruitment notices.
If there are no current vacancies and you’d like us to consider you for any that may come up, just send a cover letter and CV to workforthecastle@castle-climbing.co.uk specifying which department you’d like to be considered for.
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There aren’t any vacancies – can I still get involved?
Even if we don’t have any vacancies, there are still opportunities for getting involved with The Castle. We have a garden volunteer scheme where you can help in our organic garden in exchange for Castle Credits. You can use these credits for free climbing. Our Garden Volunteer co-ordinator is Ida Fabrizio- ida@castle-climbing.co.uk. Read more about it on the Castle Garden page.
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I’ve sent in my CV and letter. What happens now?
We’ll acknowledge receipt of your CV and letter by email. If you haven’t received an acknowledgement from us after a few days, please check that you’ve sent it to the correct address. We’ll contact the shortlisted candidates to schedule an interview with the Head of Department and another Manager.
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Do I have to be a climber?
Not everyone who works here is a climber, but most are. For some jobs, such as working in the Shop or on Reception, personal climbing experience is essential.
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Do you run a work experience programme?
Yes, we have a limited number of one week work experience placements available throughout the year. As there is great demand for these we will only accept students who climb regularly at The Castle through N4Climbing, the Comp Squad or Geckos. Students should email the HR Manager, Ben Levey (ben@castle-climbing.co.uk) to register their interest and request an application pack.
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What are the benefits of working at The Castle?
Aside from the cool t-shirt that proudly announces you as Castle staff there are lots of other benefits to working here:
- Free climbing (some employees also qualify for a nominated climber);
- Discount in The Castle Shop and The Castle Café;
- Opportunities for personal development (workshops, seminars, professional development);
- Some employees will qualify for subsidised health insurance, company contributions to their pension scheme, company sick pay, company paternal leave;
- You get to work in a Castle!
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Do you employ freelance contractors?
We employ some freelance Instructors and Setters. Contractors are responsible for their own tax and national insurance contributions and must provide us with a statement/proof to this effect. They invoice us instead of being placed on payroll. Contractors are not eligible for employee benefits such as company sick pay, pension or holiday. We extend some other benefits such as free climbing and discounts in The Castle Café to freelancers. And they get a cool t-shirt.
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What do I need to be an Instructor at The Castle?
As a minimum, we require the Climbing Wall Award (CWA) issued by the Mountain Leader Training Board. You can get more information about this qualification from their website: http://www.mountain-training.org/award-schemes/cwa.
We prefer candidates with the CWLA (Climbing Wall Leading Award), SPA (Single Pitch Award) or higher. We greatly value personal outdoor climbing experience and a commitment to continual professional development.
We regret that we do not accept foreign qualifications.
We welcome experienced climbing coaches (with or without qualifications) to help with our Competition Squad. Coaches wishing to be considered for this role must have extensive competition climbing experience and an understanding of how to adapt performance training for young climbers. If you fit the bill, send your CV and cover letter to workforthecastle@castle-climbing.co.uk.
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Route setting looks fun. Can I try it?
The Castle has a reputation for excellent, creative route setting (even if the grading can be a bit harsh). We employ a combination of in-house setters- who work predominantly for us- and well-known professional setters such as Gaz Parry and Steve McClure. We are not currently recruiting new setters. We regret that we’re not able to offer training to teach setting skills.
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I have more questions...
Great. Email us at workforthecastle@castle-climbing.co.uk and we might add your question to our site.
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