Meet The Team – Sam Hillcox
Our meet the team series – Sam Hillcox
-Why you became a first aid trainer?
My fascination with first aid goes back 25 years to doing the (slightly notorious!) Dr Ieuan Jones Bangor Scheme Mountain First Aid course when I worked at FSC Rhyd-y-Creuau. I’ve had a first aid qualification ever since – both because I’ve had to in my line of work, and because I’ve always wanted to be prepared for whatever is around the next corner… Training to become a first aid trainer was a logical progression and I have been a trainer for the First Aid Training Co-operative since 2015.
-What is it about running first aid courses do you enjoy?
I love our courses – I’ve been on loads of first aid courses now (we all have to keep our own quals up to date!), and they have been a mixed bag. Some good, some bad and some plain dreadful. So simply, what we do is teach good first aid in a logical way, which learners can follow and progress through logically, in simple steps.
And of course, I love meeting the learners and take great satisfaction from helping them grow in confidence to manage a first aid incident – it gives me a big kick!
-What is so good about being part of the Co-operative?
We support each other through having a broad range of skills and specialisms within the network. I know I can phone any of the Co-operative members for a brain-dump, a chin-wag, for wise counsel, advice and first aid updates. We all stay current by sharing our knowledge, and become better trainers by working together and sharing our skills.
– What other job/s do you have?
I have come from a background in teaching science, geography and environmental education in the outdoor classroom – everything from glaciation in Grasmere to freshwater pollution in Pocklington, via bushcraft in Bowness! I am currently instructing outdoors – in the mountains, underground, on the water and on rock in Cumbria. I also freelance, taking school groups away on geography and science field trips to Iceland, France, Morocco and Italy.
– What are your pastimes and passions?
Travelling and walking, always somewhere new but especially volcanic islands. I’m an aspirant International Mountain Leader, so my holidays are spent flogging my husband (and our dogs if in Europe!) up some nice mountains somewhere quiet and calm with, ideally, lots of pretty flowers and birds to enjoy too.
When I am feeling noisy I rock out to classic 70s rock…! and when I’m chilling I knit Icelandic jumpers (very slowly) and use an oxygen-enriched blow torch to create lampwork glass beads, trying not to burn-off my face and fingers…
