Access to Farms (ATF) | Activities that take place on a farm or horticultural premises, and where livestock, soil or horticultural inputs, products or equipment may be handled (excluding small horticultural sites such as allotments and community gardens). For the purposes of the LOtC Quality Badge it is the active involvement of children in farming practices or the handling of livestock or soil in a farming environment that determine whether a provider should be assessed by Access to Farms. |
Adventure Activities Industry Advisory Committee (AAIAC) | A wide range of sports, challenges and skills come within the definition of ‘adventurous activity’. Many involve an accepted element of risk and need to be led by competent staff with specialist training. They generally take place in the natural environment, but sometimes can be mimicked artificially in or outdoors. Courses are often organised by dedicated centres which offer multi-activity or specialist programmes as appropriate to their facilities or surroundings. Alternatively, freelance instructors can arrange activities in any suitable location. Participation in the following activities, when organised as described above, is covered by the AAIAC Awarding Body: - Abseiling
- Archery
- Artificial wall climbing
- Bell-boating
- Canoeing
- Caving
- Coasteering
- Cycling
- Dog sledging
- Dragon boating
- Ghyll scrambling
- Gorge walking
- High ropes courses
- Hill walking
- Horse riding
- Ice climbing
- Improvised rafting
- Kayaking
- Kite flying
- Low ropes courses
- Mine exploration
- Quad biking
- Mountaineering
- Mountain biking
- Mountain boarding
- Orienteering
- Pony trekking
- Pot-holing
- Powered safety/rescue craft
- Rock climbing
- Rowing
- Sail boarding
- Sailing
- Sand yachting
- Sea level traversing
- Shooting
- Sledging
- Snorkel and aqua lung activities
- Snowsports
- Surfing
- Swimming – pool, sea, natural waters
- Swimming pools in hotels, hostels or campsites
- Towed water sports / water skiing
- Wave skiing
- Wild camping
- Whitewater rafting
- Windsurfing
- Yachting (coastal and off-shore)
- Zip wires
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| Expedition Providers Association (EPA) | Overseas travel that involves a deliberate element of risk, challenge or adventure, requiring specialist skills for safe management, i.e. expeditions overseas which include any of the following: - Abseiling
- Archery
- Building and renovation
- Camel trekking
- Canoeing
- Caving
- Cycling
- Canyoning
- Cultural visits
- Dog sledging
- D of E expeditions – trekking, by cycle and water
- Gorge walking
- Horse riding
- Ice climbing
- Kayaking
- Kite flying
- Mountaineering
- Mountain biking
- Orienteering
- Personal development
- Pony trekking
- Rock climbing
- Riding – horses, camels and elephants
- Sail boarding
- Sailing
- Sand boarding and yachting
- Skiing
- Sledging
- Snorkel and aqua lung activities
- Snow shoeing
- Surfing
- Swimming – pool, sea and natural waters
- Swimming pools in hotels, hostels or campsites
- Teaching and coaching
- Team building
- Trekking – mountains, deserts, tropical regions
- Via ferrata
- Water skiing
- Wave skiing
- Whitewater rafting
- Windsurfing
- Yachting
If any element of the provision includes an overseas expedition, providers must apply through EPA. Back to top |
| Field Studies Council (FSC) | Field study activities that take place wholly in controlled areas used by the public (such as botanical gardens, zoos, forest parks, bird reserves, grounds of field centres, historic buildings, farms, open air museums, commercially operated visits to caves and mines, etc.) will be badged through Route 1. In most other cases field study activities should be accredited under Route 2, because risks can change with weather, tides, terrain and the desire of some people to go beyond very safe public areas. Some field study centres offer a mix of fieldwork and adventurous activities. If this is a significant element of the provision then accreditation will be undertaken by AAIAC. The following types of field studies based activities need Route 2 accreditation: - River studies (where people enter the water to make measurements)
- Coastal studies, including work on beaches (even apparently safe places used by the general public can be hazardous in bad weather), sand-dunes, saltmarsh, exposed and sheltered shores, cliff areas, etc.
- Urban studies (where learners work in unsupervised groups – groups away from permanent supervision)
- Studies in upland areas (including hill walking)
- Studies in wetland areas and beside lakes
- Studies using boats on canals, rivers and lakes
- Studies in quarries and at other rock exposures (hard hat areas)
- Expeditions to remote areas in the UK
- Studies in caves and mines (except commercially operated tours)
- Bushcraft activities
In many cases the activities of a centre, reserve, country park (or similar organisation) may involve mainly low risk activities in very safe, controlled circumstances, but with a few higher risk activities. Route 2 should be used in these circumstances because it removes Quality Badge limitations placed on centres by Route 1 accreditation. Back to top |
| School Travel Forum (STF) | Educational and study residential and day visits in the UK* and world-wide, where they are organised by third parties on behalf of schools, colleges and youth groups including: - Study visits
- Foreign exchange visits
- Concert tours
- Sports, skiing and snow sport trips
- Educational conferences
- Cruises
- Pilgrimages
- Swimming pools in hotels, hostels or campsites
The STF remit normally does not cover visits that are exclusively outdoor and adventurous activities or expeditions. However, where such activities are included as a minor part in a wider package, the STF scheme ensures such activities are covered. * Organisations offering only day visits within the UK will not need to be badged through this route unless the activities offered are more hazardous. Back to top |
