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Who We Are

Jon has worked in the Outdoor Activity Industry for over 30 years and first qualified as a sea kayak guide in 2002 in New Zealand.

He has worked in many different types of centres from teaching windsurfing in Greece to helping young adults turn their lives around at the Outward Bound School in Marlborough, NZ.

As a Centre Manager he has delivered top end team development to biggest financial companies in the Uk and also gone onto work with young people from the poorest parts of Glasgow in an off grid and remote residential centre.

Ethos – Curiosity and Connection

A key aim of the centre is to foster “Curiosity and Connection”.

Curiosity is fundamental to learning and a massive benefit to developing and maintaining strong emotional health. Encouraging curiosity starts from working out how the boat moves, is affected by paddle strokes or moving the tiller/sails and ultimately curiosity allows us to engage with our own emotions and sensations in our bodies.

What does a knotted stomach or slight queasiness tell us? Fear or excitement? Is the fear justified or is ok to ask it to step back for a moment? If we can engage with emotions when out on the water, we can also practice engaging with them in the ups and downs of everyday life, so emotions are a part of us – not driving our entire outlook on life.

Connection is the intention to understand and appreciate the things around us – the environment, nature and people.

Connection for humans is essential – we are hardwired into finding protection and security from landscape, community or simply a companion – human or otherwise!

Through sharing a sport and being out in nature, we want to facilitate connection and all the benefits it brings.

Social enterprise

Community Interest Company

Limited by guarantee, Bendoran Watersports CIC is a small social enterprise which was set up to address the local issues of social isolation, lack of leisure facilities and to provide employment for local people.

To fund that activity the social enterprise will also service the summer visitor market. Bendoran CIC is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company where surplus income is kept within the organisation or distributed to local charities.

In the event of the CIC ceasing trading, the assets will be passed to Bendoran Water Activities Club (BWAC).

Winner

Bendoran watersports was a winner of the Firstport Social Innovation Competition for 2021 which supports people bringing great ideas to support community.
https://www.firstport.org.uk/news/meet-the-social-innovation-competition-2021-winners/

Core Purpose

“To increase the wellbeing of the people of the Ross of Mull and Iona, by facilitating meaningful connection with themselves, each other and the environment, through the activities of the Bendoran Watersports Centre.”

Funders

Bendoran Watersports has been incredibly lucky to have been supported by Funders including Firstport, Unltd and the Islands Green recovery Fund – without that start up funding it would not have been possible to get the project going.

Safety

Every activity undertaken at Bendoran is set within a strong framework of safety, with safe working practice and procedures. A culture of safety promotes physical and emotional wellbeing, it is essential that all staff value and respect the people who come to the centre as well as doing their upmost to prevent physical harm.

AALA

The centre is licensed by the Adventurous Activity Licensing Authority who have inspected the centre and issued a licence. Details of AALA can be found on the Health and Safety executive website at https://www.hse.gov.uk/aala/general-information.htm