Hello! We are the UK Cube Association and we are a completely volunteer-ran organisation that hosts all cubing competitions in the UK. We are made up of a team of WCA delegates and staff, and we're passionate about giving people as many opportunities to compete in the UK as we can. We have organised over 100 competitions up and down the country with many more on the horizon and are always trying to find new locations to make cubing competitions as accessible as possible.

Make sure to follow our social media pages to keep up to date with the latest content and media!

UKCA is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and young people under the age of 18 who attend our activities. Please read our Safeguarding Policy for more information about this. If you have any concerns, please contact us at SafeguardingUKCA@gmail.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

First time at our competitions?

Q: How do I register?
A: Make sure you have created a WCA account by going to the sign-up page and creating an account. Once you have created the account and confirmed your email address, follow the menu bar to the Register page and carefully follow the instructions.

Q: Can I come only to spectate?
A: Yes! There is no need to book - you can just rock up on the day. It can be a bit hectic in the mornings so afternoon is preferred.

Q: Are there different age categories?
A: No, all competitors compete on the same level and all ages are welcome.

Q: Am I allowed to bring a guest?
A: Yes, you can bring as many guests as you want.

Q: How fast do I have to be to compete?
A: Check out the Events tab - if you can make the time limit for the events you want to compete in, then you're fast enough!

Q: Do I have to be there on both days?
A: No, if you only have events on one of the days, you don't have to turn up for the other day. You can see what days your events are on on the Schedule tab.

Q: When can I leave the competition?
A: You are welcome to leave whenever you are not competing. If you have no more events left then you are not required to stay.

Q: Do I use my own cubes to compete?
A: Yes!

Q: How do I find live results?
A: You can see live results as soon as they're entered at WCA Live.

Q: What happens to my results after the competition?
A: Within a couple of days, they will all be posted to this page and if this is your first competition you will automatically have your very own WCA ID assigned.

Q: Do you have a mailing list?
A: Why yes, we do have a mailing list! Sign up here for announcements of future competitions and more.

Need to unregister?

Q: What do I do if I can no longer attend?
A: Let us know via the contact link on the General Info page.

Q: If I do not attend do I get a refund?
A: If you inform us you are no longer attending before the limit date for refunds on the General Info page then you will receive a 75% refund. If this time has passed then you will receive no refund.

Something else you'd like to know?

We have a detailed Parents' Guide that covers the answers to many more questions, free from cubing jargon! Whilst primarily aimed at the parents of younger competitors, there is useful information for everyone to find within it.
Check it out here!

New Competitors

To register, make sure you have created a WCA account by going to the sign-up page and creating an account. Once you have created the account and confirmed your email address, follow the menu bar to the Register page and carefully follow the instructions.

If you are a new competitor, please make sure to:

• Familiarise yourself with the WCA Regulations by watching this tutorial for new competitors video. We will also be holding a live tutorial on both mornings of the competition.

• Bring some form of ID with you such as your passport, driver's licence, or birth certificate. Expired ID or photos of ID are both accepted.

Information for All Competitors

• Schedule Changes: Please note that the schedule is subject to change up until the Wednesday before the competition. Any major changes should be communicated in the precompetition email.

• Please help judge! As a competitor, your judging assignments are the absolute minimum you should be doing to help out. Since second rounds, third rounds and finals have no assigned judges, we really need people to help out whenever available for these. If you're a parent you can also get involved with running and juging, it's really easy! We will have a judging tutorial in the mornings as well, which will run through the process and will be tailored towards parents who want to get involved.

• No flash photography anywhere in the venue.

• If you are a spectator, please never stand further forward than the front row of spectator chairs.

• We will be taking videos and photographs of the competition and the environment for our social media pages and website. By attending the competition as a competitor or a guest, you are accepting that you may be filmed or photographed for these purposes.

Disclaimer

• There may be a photographer present at our events and by attending you give us permission to use any photos or videos you appear in on our website, our social media, or for other marketing purposes.
• The UKCA does not accept responsibility and expressly excludes liability to the fullest extent permitted by law for any loss or damage to any personal property; or for personal injury or illness suffered by you at a UKCA event.
• The UKCA is not responsible for any accommodation, travel or associated costs you might incur in the unlikely event that a competition has to be cancelled, rescheduled or relocated.
• Children under 18 years old should be accompanied by an adult.

This competition will be sponsored by Speedcubing.org!

They are kindly setting up a cube store to sell their puzzles throughout the event!
Here's what the owner, Daniel Evans, had to say:

I started speedcubing.org in its current form in 2019, I had previously sold cubes to my school cubing club and on a few market stalls in my local area. speedcubing.org has since grown to become one of the UKs largest speedcube stores aiming to provide the cubing community with high quality speedcubes at reasonable prices and with fast customer service. I am a competitive speedcuber so I understand the needs of speedcubers and can give recommendations accordingly, I strive to get new cubes in stock quickly and I try them for myself so I can develop an opinion on each one. I also have a range of helpful written instructions and videos on how to improve, and for those wanting extra support I do even offer speedcubing tuition

Venue

The venue is the Great Hall at Bolton School Boys' Division on Chorley New Road, the A673, Bolton, Greater Manchester.

If you're arriving from one of the motorway routes, you will past the University of Bolton Stadium, home of Bolton Wanderers approximately 10 minutes away from the venue. If arriving from the other direction, you will go past Queen's Park. This is on the same side of the road as the venue, so this may be worth noting when looking for the venue.
what3words: moving.taxi.snap

Travel

Car: The postcode for the venue is BL1 4PA. Bolton School is situated on the outskirts of Bolton Town Centre, easily accessible from the M61 if you're arriving from the north. From the South, you will likely get to Bolton from the M62.

Parking: There will be 2 car parks available. The Dobson Road car park, enter through the gates (Car park B) can be accessed from Dobson Road (BL1 4RL) which is between the Infants School and the Boys' Division. The other car park is the Boys' Division Quad (Car Park A ) and it can be accessed from Chorley New Road, through the gates of the archway closest to the Infants School (if you're arriving from the M61 it is likely the archway furthest from the direction you came from). Free parking on site is available all weekend for competition attendees. Parking is also available on the roads around the school.

Plane: The nearest airport is Manchester Airport (MAN). There are direct trains from Manchester Airport train station to Bolton Station, which is the closest train station to the venue.

Train: You can get to Bolton Train Station from Manchester Piccadilly, which is a major link from to most cities. From the train station, the Bolton Bus Interchange is 5 minutes walk away. You can get the 575 Sapphire bus from there. Timetable can be found here: https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/travel/timetables

Coach and Bus: The nearest bus stops to the venue are Park Road and Bolton School, and the routes which stop there are the 575 Sapphire, 913 and 935. Also, if you are taking either the 573 or 574 routes, there is the Chorley New Road stop on Tudor Avenue. There are some direct coach routes to Bolton however availability may depend on where you're travelling from.

Accessing the venue: There will be staff on site to allow access for competiors arriving on foot/public transport and parking in the Car Park A (shown on the map above). Competitors parking here will walk a short distance and enter the building shown by the red arrow on the map above. Please use this route for wheelchair access.

Entering via Dobson Road car park (Car Park B): If entering from the Dobson Road entrance, please follow the blue route on the map above and enter the building through the Glass Corridor.

You will then reach the Great Hall up the main staircase of the school.

Accommodation

• Holiday Inn Bolton Town Centre www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/gb/en/bolton/btncc/hoteldetail This is the nearest hotel from Bolton School (1.2miles, approx 7 minutes) and is centrally located in the town centre - parking is available on site on a frist come first served basis but there are lots of alternative car parks, one directly opposite the hotel, with a daily rate of £3.20.

Other hotels close by include:

• Travelodge Bolton Central River Street (https://www.travelodge.co.uk/hotels/529/Bolton-Central-River-Street-hotel)
• Britannia Bolton Hotel www.britanniahotels.com/hotels/the-britannia-bolton-hotel
• Premier Inn Bolton West www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/greater-manchester/bolton/bolton-west.html
• Premier Inn Bolton (Stadium/Arena) hotel www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/greater-manchester/bolton/bolton-stadiumarena.html
• Bolton Stadium Hotel www.boltonstadiumhotel.co.uk/

Each event is run in groups, determined by how many people are competing in that event. We will call up the groups either one or two at a time depending on how many stages we have at the competition (which you can see on the Schedule tab). Odd groups will always be on the left stage and even groups on the right stage. Your scrambling and judging assignments are the minimum amount you should be helping out as it only is for first rounds. We always appreciate extra help!

Please note down which groups you are competing and scrambling in before arriving at the competition!

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