We are sad to announce that BMC access volunteer, friend and all round hero Dave “Bish” Bishop passed away suddenly following a heart attack on 4 December.

Dave was an incredible guy, passionate about access, conservation and the right to roam, not to mention having an encyclopaedic knowledge of the crags, hills and personalities of Staffordshire Gritstone. Dave had an incredible attitude to the outdoors in general and was a strong believer in countryside access for all whilst recognising that looking after the environment was an important part that climbers and walkers could and should play.

He was involved with the BMC’s access work for many years, originally being recruited by Kath Pyke as the Western Gritstone Access Rep for the Peak Area. Subsequently he sat on both the Access, Conservation & Environment Group as well as serving as a long-time trustee of the Access & Conservation Trust.

Helping others was in his DNA and Dave was presented with the BMC’s George Band Award in 2012 alongside Henry Folkard in recognition of their exceptional voluntary contribution to the BMC’s access work.

READ: Access veterans honoured with George Band Award

Dave’s insight, humour and unique take on life will be sorely missed by the BMC and all that have had the privilege to know him. He is survived by his wife Linda and son’s Jack and Sam.

We want to say a big thanks to every BMC member who continues to support us through the Coronavirus crisis.

From weekly Facebook Lives and GB Climbing home training videos, to our access team working to re-open the crags and fight for your mountain access, we couldn’t do it without you.

Did you know that we've just launched a new U27 membership offer for just £1.50 / month? And with full membership from £2.50 / month, it's never been easier to join and support our work: 

https://www.thebmc.co.uk/join-the-bmc-for-1-month-U27-membership

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