The Alison Chadwick Memorial Award is a financial award made to either a female mountaineer or an all female expedition. This article sets out the background to the award.

Historical background
In 1978 Alison Chadwick, a British climber, died close to the summit of Annapurna I whilst a member of the successful American women's expedition. Three years earlier, together with Janucz Onyszkiewicz (her Polish husband) and Wanda Rutkiewicz she had already reached the summit of Gasherbrum III - at the time the world's highest unclimbed summit, and probably for ever the highest virgin summit climbed by a woman.

Following her death, a Memorial Fund was instituted in her name ‘to provide grants to further British and Polish women's mountaineering in the world's greater ranges, ie: further afield than the Alps'. At the end of 1990, the entire assets of the fund were very generously passed to the Mount Everest Foundation which has continued to award grants broadly in line with the original guidelines.

However, rather than administer the Award as a separate fund, the MEF decided that it would award the grant to an applicant for MEF support – either an all-female expedition or an individual female team member - which also meets the above criteria. Hence, there are no separate application forms, and there is no need for an applicant to indicate that she wishes to be considered for the Award: eligibility is considered automatically during the normal MEF Screening process.

List of recipients 
1991 Women's Karakoram 1991
1992 Kate Phillips, Shani N Face 1992
1993 (shared) Julie-Ann Clyma British K2;
Kate Phillips, British Gasherbrum IV
1994 (shared) Alison Hargreaves, British Everest Medical; British Women's Karakoram 1994 
1995 British Women Trango Tower
1996 British Women's Sat Marao
1997 (shared) British Women's Patagonia;
Julie-Ann Clyma, Changabang N Wall
1998 Ginette Harrison, International Kangchenjunga
1999 Louise Thomas, British Baffin Island
2000 Women’s Quimsa Cruz / Illimani 2000
2001 (shared) Airlie Anderson, 2001 British 'Baroness';
Lucy Creamer
2002 West Gyundi 2002
2003 Julie-Ann Clyma, British Qomo Lhari 2003
2004 Leanne Callaghan, British Torssukatak Fjord
2005 (shared) Louise Thomas, N Wales Changabang ‘05;
Anne Arran, Tepui 2005
2006 Julie-Ann Clyma, British North Sikkim 2006;
British Yadong County 2006
2007 Anne Arran, (but expedition cancelled), so grant not awarded) Unclimbed Tibet
2008 Anne Arran, Chimanta 2008

MEF grant application forms can be downloaded from the MEF website or obtained direct from the Hon Secretary. In either case, they must be completed and returned to him by 31st August or 31st December of the year preceding the expedition. Early applications will be interviewed in November and the later ones in March. It is advisable to submit applications as early as possible.

MEF Hon Secretary:
Mr. W. H. Ruthven,
1 Sarabeth Drive
Tunley
Bath
BA2 0EA

Website: www.mef.org.uk

The BMC TV Women in Adventure Film Competition is back and accepting submissions for 2022. So dive in, if you have a story to tell or a cause to share it's time to do so!

We want to see your adventures captured on film and keep the cycle of inspiration rolling as we head into the eighth year of the competition, supported by Montane.

WATCH: All the entries to the Women in Adventure Film Competition 2021 on BMC TV

FIND OUT MORE AND ENTER: Submit an entry

WATCH: Women in Adventure Film Competition 2022 Trailer on BMC TV

Need inspiration?

WATCH: All the 2021 winners and entries

WATCH: All the 2020 winners and entries

WATCH: All the 2019 winners and entries

WATCH: All the 2018 winners and entries

WATCH: All the 2017 winners and entries

WATCH: All the 2016 winners and entries

WATCH: All the 2015 winners and entries

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