On Wednesday (8 October), a reception is being held for the BMC at No 10 Downing Street in celebration of British mountaineering.

The reception will take place from 5.30pm - 7pm and will include speeches by BMC President Charles Clarke and Leo Houlding. 

The event is being held in recognition of the work of the BMC, of all British mountaineering activities and the current role our sport plays in contributing to a fit and active nation in the 21st century.  In recent years, the BMC has come a long way in the way it is viewed and consulted by government.  Our input to the Working at Heights Directive and lobbying on the Marine Bill are examples of this.  In a week that's seen James Pearson achieve what is thought to be the world's hardest climb and Adele Pennington become the first British woman to reach the summit of Manaslu (8163m), we have plenty to shout about.

This is all part of the BMC's continual work in protecting the freedoms and promoting the interests of climbers, hill walkers and mountaineers. The BMC's overall aim of this event will be to increase Governments’ appreciation of the importance British climbing and mountaineering, and its future potential. In particular: 

• The prominence of British climbing and mountaineering on the world stage
• The health, fitness and economic benefits of our sport
• The relatively low level of financial support we receive from government in comparison to other sports

The reception will be attended by government ministers, MPs, members of the House of Lords and senior civil servants.  Jennie Price, CEO Sport England, will be in attendance.  Also on the guest list are a number of key representatives including senior figures from the mountaineering world and key partner organisations, a number of BMC volunteers, leading climbers, the outdoor media and leading grassroots activists in rock climbing, mountaineering and hill walking.

Read a full press release here.

Read about how the event went here.

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