Windermere and its lakeside neighbour Bowness-on-Windermere form the tourism heartland of the Lake District, welcoming millions of visitors every year. Located just 30 minutes south of our Penrith training centre via the A6 and M6, the area is packed with hotels, restaurants, boat hire companies, cruise operators, and outdoor retailers — all of which need staff trained in fire safety, first aid, and workplace health and safety. Cumbria Fire & Safety Training provides nationally accredited courses to Windermere businesses at our Penrith facility or on-site at your lakeside premises.
Courses Available for Windermere Businesses
The hospitality and tourism sectors that dominate the Windermere economy demand a particular set of training qualifications. Our most sought-after courses for local businesses include:
- Fire Warden Training — Hotels such as Langdale Chase, Low Wood Bay, and Beech Hill all require trained fire wardens. This course covers fire prevention, evacuation management, and the practical use of extinguishers and fire blankets.
- Emergency First Aid at Work — An HSE-recognised one-day qualification. Essential for boat hire operators, cruise companies like Windermere Lake Cruises, outdoor activity providers, and any employer with staff working in higher-risk environments.
- Fire Safety Awareness — A foundation course that ensures every team member, from reception staff to kitchen porters, knows how to prevent fires and respond when the alarm sounds.
- Manual Handling Training — Protects housekeeping teams, laundry staff, cellar workers, and anyone whose role involves lifting or moving heavy items.
- Food Safety in Catering — A legal requirement for anyone handling food. With Windermere home to fine dining restaurants, gastropubs, and busy lakefront cafes, this course is in constant demand.
Beyond these core programmes, we offer customer service training, team leadership qualifications, and conflict resolution courses — all of which support the front-line demands of Lake District hospitality.
Why Windermere Businesses Choose Our Training
- Only 30 minutes north — Our Penrith training centre is a short drive up the M6 and A6, with free parking and modern teaching rooms.
- Respected accreditations — Courses accredited by IFE, CPD, IATP, IIRSM, ILM, LASER, and RoSPA give your staff qualifications that hotels, insurers, and licensing authorities all recognise.
- We train at your venue — Large hotels and restaurant groups across Windermere and Bowness regularly ask us to deliver on-site. We set up in your function room, conference suite, or staff area and train your team without them leaving the building.
- 140+ online courses from just £15 — Ideal for seasonal staff arriving in spring who need fire safety and food hygiene certificates before their first shift.
- Specialist fire knowledge — Beacon Fire Protection, our sister company, maintains fire safety systems in hotels and commercial premises across the Lake District. That operational experience makes our training practical and relevant.
- Seasonal flexibility — We know that Windermere’s busiest months are its worst time for releasing staff. We schedule training to suit your quiet periods and can run short sessions early in the morning or late afternoon.
Fire Safety Regulations for Windermere Businesses
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires every business to assess its fire risks, maintain appropriate safety measures, and train all staff accordingly. For Windermere’s hospitality sector, compliance is both a legal obligation and a reputational necessity.
Hotels are among the most heavily scrutinised premises under fire safety law. Guests sleep on the premises, which means evacuation planning must account for people who are unfamiliar with the layout, may have mobility issues, and could be asleep when an alarm activates. Every member of hotel staff, from night porters to events coordinators, needs to know exactly what to do. Large lakeside hotels with multiple floors, conference facilities, and spa areas require several trained fire wardens to cover all zones.
Boat operators on Lake Windermere face a different but equally important set of requirements. Booking offices, maintenance workshops, and fuel storage areas all carry fire risks that must be assessed and managed. The outdoor retail shops along Windermere’s high street and Bowness promenade — selling walking gear, gifts, and outdoor clothing — must ensure staff can evacuate customers safely and know the location and operation of fire extinguishers.
High staff turnover in the tourism sector makes regular refresher training essential. Our courses ensure that even newly arrived seasonal workers are fully competent from day one.
How to Reach Our Training Centre from Windermere
From Windermere, the most direct route is to take the A591 north to the M6, joining the motorway at Junction 36. Head north on the M6 to Junction 40 (Penrith), then follow local signs towards Redhills Business Park. Alternatively, you can take the A6 north through Shap, a scenic route that avoids the motorway and takes a similar amount of time. Our address is Unit 4b, Redhills Business Park, Penrith, CA11 0DT. The journey is around 30 minutes, and free parking is available directly outside our building.
Of course, many Windermere businesses prefer us to come to them. We deliver on-site training throughout the south Lakes area, so your team can learn without leaving the premises.
Online Training for Windermere Businesses
Windermere’s tourism economy runs on seasonal labour, and that creates a recurring training challenge: how do you get twenty new starters up to speed on fire safety and food hygiene when the season is already underway? Our online learning platform, provided through VideoTile, is the answer. Over 140 accredited courses are available from just £15, covering fire safety, first aid awareness, food hygiene, allergen awareness, health and safety, and dozens of other subjects.
New staff can complete their induction training before they even arrive in Cumbria, logging in from home on a laptop or phone. Hotel groups managing properties across the Lake District can standardise their training and track completion centrally. Boat hire companies and cruise operators can ensure all crew hold current certificates without pulling them off the water during peak hours.
We provide a free trial of the VideoTile platform so you can assess the content and user experience first-hand. Speak to us and we will arrange access.
Book Your Training
Windermere businesses can arrange training today by calling us on 01768 807258 or emailing info@cumbriafiresafetytraining.co.uk. Tell us about your business, your team size, and when suits you best, and we will put together a tailored training plan.
Browse our upcoming courses for scheduled dates at our Penrith centre, or head to our contact page to request a callback. From a single fire warden certificate to a full seasonal induction programme, Cumbria Fire & Safety Training keeps Windermere’s businesses safe, legal, and ready for anything.