The Guild Accreditation Programme

To define what makes a good Battlefield Guide and provide opportunities to demonstrate abilities in key guiding competencies, the Guild has developed this programme

The Accredited Members’ Badge of the International Guild of Battlefield Guides

On completion of validation under the Accreditation Programme, the award of the Guild Accredited Member Badge and elevation to Accredited Member status indicates that the holder is an experienced guide who has attained a peer verified level of professional expertise.

Validation is not for all members and there is no obligation to participate in the programme. However those that do find it challenging and stimulating. Even guides with many years’ experience have found it both an opportunity for self-improvement and extremely rewarding!

Validation is for established and practising guides with some experience of battlefield guiding.   Before starting Validation candidates will be asked to provide evidence of their previous battlefield guiding experience so that their eligibility for the programme may be confirmed.  Those with little practical experience are unlikely to be accepted for Validation

Validation encompasses the four principal areas of guiding competence:

  • Knowledge: Relevant military history covering the battlefield from three key perspectives historical, topographical and archaeological
  • Presentation: Communication skills and style – the ability to convey information effectively and to vary presentational methods so that it is most easily received by each audience
  • Duty of Care: As it affects the conduct of the Battlefield Tour ‘On the ground’. Not about matters of mundane administration but fundamental issues which will affect the learning and enjoyment of the Tour such as group safety, transport and feeding
  • Business: Battlefield guiding as a business whether it is working for a company or as a sole trader

There are no validation failures, only passes or referrals. Ordinary members graduate as Accredited Members on completion of the Accreditation Programme. The award of the Accredited Member’s Badge shows clients and potential employers that the holder has been formally prepared, assessed and registered in accordance with the Guild’s professional standards of knowledge and practice, and he/she is able to communicate their extensive knowledge in an interesting, informative and entertaining manner.