In addition to all our regular work for members and clubs including an increasingly packed events calendar, here’s a selection of our key new developments for 2014.

Access & conservation:

• We're going all out on our Open Wales campaign to get the best possible outcome for walkers, climbers and all recreational users from the Welsh government's access legislation review. This is a big deal as it could even result in an open access charter similar to the Scottish system but has much opposition from landowners, so please show your support.
• Our biennial access conference will take place in the Lake District in the autumn looking at the issues surrounding outdoor challenge events such as the Three Peaks Challenge.
• Producing guidance notes for BMC Areas as per our new Landscape Charter on issues including energy and its infrastructure, minerals and quarrying. Also producing a good practice publication on group use.
• Incorporating a North Wales winter conditions facility into the Regional Access Database (RAD) and publishing a White Guide for the Lake District.

BMC 70th anniversary:

• Marking the BMC’s 70th anniversary in a variety of ways including a special anniversary issue of Summit magazine in March. 
• Throughout the year there will be a series of 70th anniversary themed outdoor festivals including our AGM weekend in Portland (25-27April) and the Bristol Climbing Festival (26 July). Also watch this space for news of a potential Stanage Festival.

Hill walking:

• Raising the profile of the BMC with campaigns focused on hill walking issues, initially led by the Open Wales campaign (see above)
• Promoting our work in the wider world, aided by our first Hill Walking Ambassador, Chris Townsend.
• Supporting more hill walkers participating in BMC Area Meetings and volunteering on things like litter clean-ups, path maintenance and landscape restoration through local action groups. 
• Helping BMC clubs attract more hill walking members.
• Supporting hill walking festivals and events in South Wales, Northumbria, and the Peak District.
• Providing subsidised hill skills courses in conjunction with Plas y Brenin and local providers across England and Wales.

Membership:

• Membership improvements including fully fledged members’ login facility and new insurance module to go live on BMC website.
• Working with our new team of BMC Ambassadors to raise the BMC’s profile and engage young climbers, hill walkers and mountaineers. A promotional campaign will go live to introduce young climbers to the BMC and the sport via social media.

Mountain Training:

• During Mountain Training’s 50th anniversary year we’ll be helping promote their work and raising awareness of the leader, instructor and coaching qualifications offered.
• The BMC and Mountain Training England will be running an Equity Symposium on 28 March to promote participation in the outdoors and uptake of Mountain Training qualifications among black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities.

Publications:

• Publication of Get Climbing a one-off 100 page magazine for beginner climbers which will be available in WH Smith this spring. 
• Revising our Young People booklet for parents
• Producing a BMC guidebook to Peak Limestone North.

Events and courses:

• The BMC events programme for 2014 is packed with festivals, masterclasses, competitions, lectures, conferences and seminars including our third BMC Injury Prevention Seminar (15 -16 November).  There’s a full competition calendar for 2014 and we’ll be hosting the IFSC European Youth Championships at EICA, Ratho (14-15 June) and the IFSC Para Climbing Cup at Awesome Walls Sheffield (4-5 October).
• This year we’ve also got a record number of subsidised training courses for clubs, those who want to hone their skills in walking, scrambling and winter skills and those making the transition to climbing outside.

Want a quick reminder of last year's highlights? Find out what the BMC achieved in 2013

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