Bernadette Hunt Q&A - General Manager at Kingswood Peak Venture Yorkshire

Bernadette Hunt

General Manager at Kingswood’s Peak Venture Yorkshire.

Bernadette has been with the company for over 13 years, currently working as a General Manager at Kingswood’s Peak Venture Centre in Yorkshire. Here's our Q&A.

What jobs did you have prior to working at Kingswood?

Leaving home at 16, I opted for a modern apprenticeship going into hairdressing. I quickly realised that there wasn’t huge money or career progression in this industry so immediately looked for a job that would at least bring in a steady wage, like working in a shop to make up full-time hours. It was here I started to build my confidence and grow the communication skills I already had through interacting with customers.

The personal skills in communication I had developed were well suited for my next career step into the call centre industry. I matched the job well and had immense satisfaction and development opportunities from it. This is where the role I have today stemmed from as during my progression in that industry I became focused on operations, quality-checking and managing individuals. After a while there I was offered a job working in India, where for six months I had the opportunity to build a completely new operational process for the company.

After moving into customer service, where I spent 13 years, a pivotal career moment that nobody wants arrived: I was made redundant. During redundancy, I realised I wanted to be in an industry that offered job security. At the time this meant moving away from my comfort zone in the sector I had previously succeeded in, so I applied for industries with transferable skills. Qualities like operational organisation and people skills were appealing to Inspiring Learning, who approached me and offered me the role of Customer Service Manager.

The company has seen many transitions since I started working there which has given me several opportunities for growth. Whilst I started out as a Customer Service Manager, the role changed and I had the chance to experience more of the ‘on-the-ground’ work, moving into the role as Assistant General Manager just before Covid hit. When we returned from Covid I had the opportunity to progress into the role of General Manager, which is my current position and most recent step within my Inspiring Learning Journey.

What makes you want to work at Kingswood?

Coincidentally, I visited Peak Venture when I was 12 years old during a school residential trip. To this day I have some amazing memories of the residential experience and jumped at the chance to be part of the team who gives other children these memories as well. ?

I learnt a lot through working in Kingswood’s customer service operation. During my time in the role, we refocused the way customer service worked. I’m privileged to work in a role that values my thoughts and listens to me when I can see and action positive changes within the company. I walk around the site every day and am blessed that I’m able to make an impact, create great experiences and change lives.

Covid-19 was a worrying time for all, and our industry has an important role to play in making a positive impact on reversing some of the negative ripple effects of the pandemic. The experiences we offer here at Inspiring Learning are a leading factor in bringing young people back out of the pandemic and developing their confidence and resilience. I have children myself, so know first-hand what they went through during the pandemic. Opportunities like the ones Kingswood offers are so helpful to overcome some of the impact. ?Working at Kingswood, I can see the transformative magic of learning in an outdoor setting with positive outcomes happening every 30 seconds, it brings a tear to my eye.

What skills do you need for your job?

A willingness to learn is the most important skill to me. With all the experience that people can come in with, they need to have an open mind to celebrate and be part of the learning happening around them. I see team members that are learning new skills themselves every day through the nurturing support network we surround them with. By doing this, they’re adding to the great experiences young people are participating in, forming memories that last a lifetime.

What would you say to someone in a different sector considering a career change?

My old-faithful saying is ‘think outside the box’ when looking for something new. When I drive to work each day, I go past beautiful scenery in a green environment - which is something completely different to working in a city-centre office job. I don’t think working at an outdoor adventure and learning centre is an obvious career change for many, and certainly wasn’t in my case but now in my everyday life I’m able to enjoy the stunning scenery and be surrounded by amazing people every day.

For those at a desk in an office job, I would urge them not to think about what their employer can do for them, but what impact they themselves can they make on others. By choosing a company such as Inspiring Learning, we can enable them to do just that.

Are there individuals that would be especially suited to apprenticeships at Kingswood?

I was talking to a colleague in recruitment recently about how keen we were not to relegate people to specific categories or groups when hiring. Apprenticeships are open to people of all ages, skill sets and life experiences. Although we usually have a very specific age that is attracted to doing an apprenticeship, we recently had a 53-year-old lady who spent 12 months doing an apprenticeship delivering outdoor activities with great success. The life experience she brought added extra value to the young people’s adventures at the site and a great personal achievement for her also. Apprenticeships offer a fantastic opportunity to learn a completely new set of skills while being paid for it and having fun!

Have you faced any challenges in your job?

Challenges are an everyday occurrence at the centre! We can encounter big challenges, such as the massive industry shift we’re experiencing after Covid, or smaller everyday challenges like a team member being sick. I think the key is to never anticipate something as being too much of a challenge. Working together makes it easier to overcome and keep a positive mindset.

Other than that, my biggest challenge is staying away from the place! I was working at the centre right up until the moment when my son was born – I literally gave birth to him five hours after leaving Peak Venture and commenced my maternity leave from there!

What industries do you think would complement working at Kingswood?

There are so many industries with transferrable skills, for example hospitality is a great industry to transfer from, as you’re used to dealing with a lot of people directly.

I think people from the care sector are also well suited, as this line of work requires a lot of observational skills and patience. Skilled sports coaches also naturally lend themselves well to working with children, young people and adults alike. People that come from any work experience requiring organisational and communication skills, or simply wanting to make a difference to others will find themselves a perfect fit for working at a Kingswood site.?