Welcome from Fiona Sanders
Chair – Mountain Training Trust
Thank you for your interest in this exciting role as the CEO of the National Outdoor Centre, Plas y Brenin. As we enter the final stages of agreeing a five-year extension to continue operating Plas y Brenin on behalf of Sport England, we also turn a new chapter in the illustrious history of Plas y Brenin.
This contract renewal has led to the development of a comprehensive five-year business plan, helping to secure capital investment, and has clear financial projections to ensure long-term sustainability of the centre. We have also reflected deeply on our identity as a charity, what we deliver, and how we remain financially resilient.
The next chapter begins with renewed focus on what we do best: delivering high-quality outdoor experiences in innovative and effective ways to a broad and diverse range of participants.
Our new business plan, financial projections, and organisational structure has laid strong foundations to provide for the future. Notably, our winter mountaineering programme sold out for the first time in many years, a vital step toward offering a full range of viable programmes that challenge and inspire clients of all abilities.
We now need a CEO who can bring this plan to life, creating a culture rooted on personal development, career growth and safety, who is committed to our team to help them be the best so they can build the next cohort of outdoor leaders.
If this sounds like an opportunity too good to miss, you’re right! And we would love to hear from you!
Best,
Fiona Sanders – Chair – Mountain Training Trust
To find out more about this exciting opportunity, download the full specification using this link:
Application deadline: 4th February
Key Dates:
- Initial conversations: 9th to 12th February 2026
- Formal Interviews: Week commencing 23rd February 2026 to include:
Discussions with key stakeholders (Sport England, Founder Members, Senior Leadership Team)
Presentation and discussion with a small panel of Trustees
- Final Interviews: 23rd February to 5th March 2026 to include:
a tour of the building and meeting with teams
Contact Information:
For an informal conversation about the role, please contact:
About the Mountain Training Trust
Plas y Brenin is managed by the Mountain Training Trust (MTT), a charity founded in 1997 to inspire and educate through adventure. Widely recognised as the heart of British mountaineering, the centre is managed on behalf of Sport England and has long been a place where outdoor leaders, coaches, and instructors are trained to a high level of skill and professionalism.
MTT was created by three founding organisations – the British Mountaineering Council, Mountain Training UK & Ireland, and Mountain Training England – following a tender process in 1996 to take over the management of Plas y Brenin from the Sports Council. Alongside MTT, our trading subsidiary Mountain Training Limited (MTL) was established to deliver the operational contract and continues to support our charitable objectives.
We support programmes like the James Brownhill Memorial Fund, which provides subsidised places on winter mountaineering courses, and the Mountain Adventure Fund, launched in 2024 to give young people from disadvantaged backgrounds the chance to experience outdoor adventure through fully funded residential programmes.
Our instructors contribute to national training resources, support governing bodies, and deliver programmes from Eryri (Snowdonia) to Scotland, Europe, and beyond. With your support, we can continue to open up the outdoors to more people, regardless of background or circumstance.