Plas Menai boss retiring after 30 year transformation
by Hamish Stuart, RYA Cymru-Wales 31 Mar 2015 12:19 BST
31 March 2015
Alan Williams during The One Show - Baton Relay © RYA Cymru-Wales
Thirty years after starting work at a little known watersports venue, Alan Williams is retiring as manager from the world reknowned Plas Menai National Outdoor Centre.
Some thought it a white elephant in the early days but the developments at Plas Menai over the last 30 years are little short of staggering, taking advantage of a wonderful location overlooking the Menai Straits, the North Wales coast and the back drop of Snowdonia.
"It has been 30 years exactly - I still remember walking through the door on April 1st 1985, after I first saw the centre being built while sailing a wayfarer dinghy to Ireland in 1983," remembered Williams.
"We have done a lot here over the years, we are about developing people and their skills in a safe environment.
"I still remember when I first came here, there was a very small staff and the centre was not very well known. Now it is not just well known in Britain but reknowned the world over and that's down to the staff and the support of Sport Wales who own and operate the Centre.
"In those 30 years we have also turned over an enormous number of staff who have gone on to do all sorts of things all the world over. Many of the staff are enthusuastic, committed practitioners and coaches. It is the staff who developed the centre's reputation."
Stephen Park, who runs the British Olympic sailing teams, and Chris Gowers, who is one of the head Olympic coaches, were based at Plas Menai. Members of staff have sailed around the world, across the Atlantic, and sea kayaked around the world and in remote places such as north of the arctic circle and in Alaska.
Barry Davies and Jamie Johnson were both Chief Instructors, many of the activity heads also made their mark such as John Mills, Oisin Hallisey, Colin Lowther, Franco Ferrero, John Jackson, Mike Hart, Nic Wymer, Penny Haire, John Mills, Nic Cunliffe, Matt Strickland, John Sheather, Ed Curtis, Matt Beaumont and many others.
"I think the support staff, who are often forgotten, are the most important,it's the quality of marketing, catering, cleaning and maintenance which sets the centre apart and provides a platform for the instructors and coaches to deliver the courses," explained Williams.
"We have had more than threequarters of a million people going through our courses, some taking their first steps and others developing as coaches.
"We have helped to put North Wales on the map as far as outdoor sports are concerned. Working in partnership with the RYA, RYA Cymru-Wales, Welsh Canoeing, Bangor University, the North Wales Outdoor Partnership and the international sailing centre at Pwllheli have all helped.
"We do everything we can to engage the local community too, with our swimming programme and local schools activity programme which regulalry see more than 4000 days of activity for local schools and community groups.
"Last year we changed our name to Plas Menai National Outdoor Centre to reflect the range of our activities, we are not just watersports but also use the mountains and do a lot of team building.
"We have some big contracts with the likes of BMW and Rolls Royce to run their team building courses.
"Plas Menai is one of the most fantastic outdoor Centres anywhere- one member of staff likened it to a 'disney world' for watersports. The Menai Straits are sheltered and even when it's windy we can find sheltered locations.
"For example I can remember when Olympic silver medallist Hannah Mills first came here for Welsh squad selection trials in the Menai Straits, the British Olympic Sailing Team did some teambuilding at the Centre before Beiijing, we taught William Hague to sail, had a visit from the Prince of Wales, and only last year Alex Jones from the One Show visited the centre by boat as a part of the Queeens baton relay, where Dave Brailsford dropped in for tea.
"This is not a normal place to work."
Williams may be moving on, with some national and international challenges ahead working on coach education programmes throughout the RYA, but he will not stray too far from Plas Menai, "The centre has been my spritiual home for so long and I will be sad to leave, but now I feel it is time for someone else to take the helm and take the centre forward, then I can move on to do some other things," explained Williams, who became chief instructor at Plas Menai in 1988 and centre manager in 1993.
"I really enjoy coaching, and I always think there are new things to learn, I like the challenge of helping sailors and parents reach their potential.
"There is big project going on in terms of developing the right environment for the coaching pathway going forward. and I will be pleased to contribute towards that."
So Williams will carry on being a regular visitor, and will watch with interest to see how the centre moves forward.