Land & Wave

The Female Adventure Grant - subsidised training to get women leading in outdoors roles

After more than 15 years growing something rare - a business where people fall in love, start families, and find their calling - founders Owen Senior and David Mutton have handed Land & Wave to the people who know it best. Land & Wave, the Swanage-based outdoor education and training provider, announces the completion of a management buyout in April 2026. Co-Directors Rosie Tanner and Alex Mortimer- between them, carrying over two decades of Land & Wave experience - have taken ownership of the business they've called home. Land & Wave was never just a company. Owen and David founded it in 2009 as friends, and that founding spirit shaped everything that followed. Over the years, it became a place where friendships deepened into partnerships, colleagues became partners, siblings worked side by side, and children were born to people who'd met on its many adventure activities. Rosie met her fiance at Land & Wave and is Owen's sister-in-law. Alex is married to Jen, the Schools Manager. The business didn't just employ people; it wove them together. Rosie joined in 2013, Alex in 2018. In the years since, they have helped grow Land & Wave into a nationally recognised destination for schools, colleges, and outdoor professionals - most recently  developing a specialist rescue water safety arm that draws trainees from across the UK. "When people walk through our doors, they always comment on the welcome they receive and how at home they feel - whether they've travelled from down the road or from the other end of the country. That sense of belonging is our ethos, and it always will be." says Rosie. Owen and David stepped back from day-to-day leadership in 2021. David now uses his experience to support businesses across Dorset as a consultant at Evolve . Owen is in the mountains of North Wales, volunteering with Mountain Rescue Aberglaslyn mrt. Their legacy continues. "Dave and I started Land & Wave 17 years ago. Our only real aspiration was to get some time off during the winter to have some cool adventures. The first 10 years were a wild ride - scary, stressful, and loads of fun. The best thing about the business was getting to work with friends and family every day. We never fell out. We were always there for each other- it made really difficult things achievable. It's all about the humans when it comes down to it." says Owen. Alongside its national profile, Land & Wave remains rooted in the Dorset community. They host The Big Swim at Sandbanks - celebrating International Women's Day (this year attracting national press coverage) and delivers subsidised outdoor trips for local schoolchildren on pupil premium. This year sees the launch of two new initiatives: The Female Adventure Grant and The Purbeck Adventure Grant, designed to open up Land & Wave's 15-week outdoor instructor training programme to people who might not otherwise be able to access it, addressing barriers of both gender and economic inequality. Watch this space for what's to come!

Calling all teams working in and around water... https://lnkd.in/eQ5ViNvE

Our Activities Manager, and Bushcraft guru, Phil Harris, has been nominated for the NCFE Aspiration Awards as Educator of the Year. This nomination is testament to Phil's beautiful bushcraft coaching style and rock-steady patience, which always gets a mention from clients and school children. Good Luck Phil!

Anyone caught out today with the flash floods? Last week’s Rescue 3 Europe Safe Working in Water course with EDI Surveys Ltd and APEM Ltd was a well-timed training course to support teams who are working in or around water-based sites. Course leader Alex Mortimer.

Another fantastic Rescue 3 course delivered - this time with leanne jolley and her crew at Bridge & Highway Maintenance.

🚨 Last-Minute Space Available! 🚨 We’ve got one final spot on our Rescue 3 Swiftwater & Flood Rescue Technician Course, running 10–13 November in Dorset. This internationally recognised qualification is designed for anyone who works in, on or around water including: 🌊 Civil and environmental engineers working near rivers or flood zones 🌿 Conservation teams managing waterways or wetland sites 🧭 Surveyors who operate in flood-prone or water-based environments 🚑 Rescue teams and emergency responders Delivered by Land & Wave’s expert instructors, this hands-on course prepare you for real-world water rescue and safety challenges. 📍 Location: Dorset 📅 Dates: 10–13 November Accreditation: Rescue 3 Europe – Swiftwater & Flood Rescue Technician If your work brings you close to moving water — this course could be the difference between being near the hazard and being ready to handle it. ➡️ Grab the last place now before it’s gone: https://lnkd.in/eu5wUjFV #Rescue3 #SwiftwaterRescue #FloodRescue #LandAndWave #WaterSafety #Training #Engineering #Surveying #Conservation #RescueTeams #ProfessionalDevelopment

We won an 'Outstanding Community Support' silver award at the recent Swanage Business Awards! We were recognised for the following community projects: The Big Purbeck Campout - getting 264 purbeck children to experience a school trip within the local landscape for free or at a heavy subsidy Sea Safer Skills - a subsidised community project to get children aware of the water and associated risks The Big Swim 2025 - a community event where 1000 women across Dorset and Brighton jumped in the sea for International Women's Day.

🚨 Huge Congratulations to our Director, Alex Mortimer! It’s been a whirlwind year for Alex, who’s just been awarded Independent Instructor status to deliver Rescue 3 Europe Swiftwater and Flood Rescue Training courses. This is massive achievement is the result of months of dedication, travel, training, and learning from some of the very best in the field. The journey began just 12 months ago with a simple idea, backed by UK Shared Prosperity Fund grant funding to get the right kit and training in place. Since then, Alex has been all over the country training, shadowing, and building incredible connections. We’re so grateful to everyone who’s supported along the way: 🙏 Rescue 3 Europe for guidance 🙏 Anthony Eddies-Davies from Adventure Consultancy for shadowing opportunities and assessments 🙏 R3 Safety and Rescue for ongoing mentorship and collaboration This milestone is proof that when businesses and professionals work together, rather than gatekeep, everyone moves forward and an industry strengthens and grows. We're looking forward to helping pay forward the goodwill in the future. Now, with Land & Wave's Rescue 3 training up and running, we’re already working with search and rescue teams, the engineering industry, and the construction sector, where water safety is an essential part of compliance and best practice. Here’s to building safer teams, stronger networks, and a future full of learning and adventure. 🙌 #Rescue3 #SwiftwaterRescue #FloodRescue #Training #Collaboration #LandAndWave #AdventureIndustry #WaterSafety