More Sport England Funding for BMC

© Alan James - UKC
Last month (at the Kendal Mountain Festival) UKClimbing attended a presentation from the BMC in which they highlighted some of the work they will be doing in the next twelve months. We've wrapped up what they had to say in this short report:

Big news was that the BMC's funding from Sport England looks set to increase over the next four years due to rising participation in climbing and hill walking. This funding increase will be focused on the 18 to 25 age bracket. The BMC will be stepping up their work for this group in the following ways:

  • Funding more 'indoor to outdoor' courses to help young people make the transition from indoor climbing walls to crags outside.
  • Recruiting a number of 'Young Ambassadors' to be the face of the BMC for younger members.
  • Develop their media work, particularly with regard to video and video hosting on the BMC website.
  • Working to increase participation through support for campaigns like Britain on Foot.

Dave Turnbull of the BMC explains what they are doing for us.  © Alan James - UKC
Dave Turnbull of the BMC explains what they are doing for us.
© Alan James - UKC

However, as Access and Conservation is the core work of the BMC, they were keen to tell us about their work in that department. 2013 looks set to be a busy time for BMC access work. Here is what they told us was on the cards just for the Access & Conservation team:

  • The future of Natural England is being considered in 2013 and the BMC is actively involved in making sure the voice of recreation is heard in that debate.
  • Our charity, the Access and Conservation Trust, will be making grants for a range of projects, including path restoration, most probably at the Roaches in Staffordshire.
  • Our project to restore the crags of the Avon Gorge, with funding from ACT, continues in 2013.
  • We'll continue extending the role and influence of the All Party Parliamentary Mountaineering Group to help us lobby at Westminster.
  • Following our successful liability conference held in the Peak District earlier this month, we're planning a similar event as part of a new initiative on the after-life of quarries.
  • We're publishing a green guide to climbing in Northumberland, extending this popular series on local conservation advice. We're reprinting our green guide to the uplands too, after distributing 22,000 copies already.
  • We plan to publish a Landscape Charter to help local area committees to respond to developments in our wild spaces.
  • The crisis with ash die-back has kept us busy. We're monitoring our crag at Horseshoe Quarry, which has many ash trees. We're also beginning a 15-year woodland management plan at Harrison's Rocks in Sussex.
  • In Wales, we're planning another crag maintenance event at Tremadog, the popular Tremfest.
  • Finally, we hope to start work on restoring the path up to the iconic Dinas Cromlech in the Llanberis Pass.

This is of course on top of all the lectures, seminars and meets that the BMC runs every year. As part of that in the spring time the BMC are hosting the infamous 'International Meet'. Here's the blurb:

"The UK has the best sea-cliff climbing in the world, and the BMC will be showcasing this to 40 guests from all over the world. Based at the Count House Climbers' Club Hut above Bosigran from 12 to 19 May."


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18 Dec, 2012
The actual funding was announced yesterday but how does this shakeout for the BMC? £3 million over the next 4 years but how much for climbing and how much for Britain on Foot which is just walking and run by the OIA? Or other walking initiatives? Netball got £25 million and even 'Movement and Dance' got £1.9 million, so is a slice (how big?) of £3 million a success or a disappointment?
18 Dec, 2012
to confirm: the BMC has been awarded just under £3m for the 4 yr period from 31 March 2013-17. This is around double our current Sport England grant and I think we're unique in having been awarded 100% of what we asked for. I'm also told by Sport England that our % increase was the biggest of the 46 sports they fund. Around 25-30% of the grant will go to our partners to the bid i.e. MTE, MTUK, Plas y Brenin, the OIA and the ABCTT (NICAS). Amongst other things the money will mean the following: The total Sport England allocation for 'mountaineering' remains fairly modest compared to other sports but then few other sports have the membership base (around 72000 in the BMC's case) to provide the bulk of the funding that is needed to function. Cheers Dave
18 Dec, 2012
Well done Dave. Thanks for all the hard work this must have taken. Mick
18 Dec, 2012
Hi Dave Can you give some idea of what the responsibilities of the 3 new jobs (Hill Walking Officer and two Regional Development Officers) will be ? Chris P.S. Don't worry, I won't be applying ...
18 Dec, 2012
Give me a call Chris
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