Brecon Beacons National Park Authority
Visitor Centre Staff
Role play briefing notes
You work for the National Park Authority who owns Mynydd
Illtyd.
The Authority’s must (by law) provide information and
education about the special qualities of the Park to residents
and visitors. You help to do this by leading guided walks with
adults and school groups and giving help and information to
people you meet during your day.
The Authority has a duty to help the local economy to improve.
You know the visitors bring in a lot of money into the area and
you try to encourage this by promoting local goods and
services.
People spend money when they come to the Visitor Centre
which helps with the costs of running it. You run big events in
summer, such as the Summer Fayre, which encourage more
people to come.
You charge for car parking which brings in more income.
You would like to see more people come by public transport but
there is no service except on Sundays and Bank Holidays during
the summer. If more people came by public transport you would
earn less money from the car park.
You want people to enjoy and appreciate the area, to have a
good experience at the Visitor Centre and to return.
The Authority must also (by law) conserve and enhance the
natural beauty, wildlife, history and culture of the Park.
You want to improve Mynydd Illtyd as an important habitat for
the wide variety of plants and animals. You have records to
show that some species of plants and animals are disappearing
from the area.
You know that most people come to Mynydd Illtyd because
they are attracted to the Visitor Centre. It was a lot quieter
before the Centre was built.
You encourage visitors away from environmentally sensitive
areas by suggesting walks where they will do the least damage
eg away from Traeth Mawr which is a SSSI (Site of Special
Scientific Interest)
You provide information for a variety of different routes and
places to go around Mynydd Illtyd so that visitors have a walk
to match their fitness and interests and will spread out more.
You try to be as sustainable as possible and encourage your
visitors to do the same. You have introduced recycling,
composting, Fair Trade goods and food, energy and water
saving initiatives and would like to do more.
You are hoping to get funding to improve the Visitor Centre. If
you get enough money you would like a completely new ecobuilding. Many people think a new building should be built away
from Mynydd Illtyd.