The BMC's Access and Conservation Trust (ACT) funds projects to protect our cliffs and mountains.

It aims to promote sustainable access to cliffs, mountains and open countryside by facilitating education and conservation projects across the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The BMC Access & Conservation Trust (ACT) is a charity registered in England & Wales (no 1089516).  ACT allows tax efficient donations to be made using Gift Aid. The Gift Aid Form can be downloaded here. 

ACT aims to:

• Support rural access and conservation projects that protect access and promote sustainable use
• Educate and raise awareness of conservation issues
• Inform people about areas of ecological sensitivity
• Research the benefits and impacts of mountain recreation and tourism
• Train and support access and conservation volunteers

ACT will fund:

• Landscape Site Based Work
• Campaigns and Policy Development
• Rural Development Initiatives
• Sustainable Transport Initiatives
• Information Resources & Publications
• Research
• Training & Support for Access Volunteers

ACT funds a wide range of projects encompassing policy-related work, literature production and large-scale environmental projects.  For example, by supporting  practical site based work (e.g. footpath construction, fencing, stiles, signs, ecological surveys) and rural development initiatives (e.g. projects to encourage climbers, hill walkers and mountaineers to contribute more to local economies in mountain areas).  ACT also funds sustainable transport initiatives and provides high quality access and conservation information to the public (e.g. good practice publications).  

See a list of projects that ACT has funded in previous years. 

Suggest a project
Have you got an idea for a project in the UK or Ireland? From local footpath work to national consultations, ACT might be able to help. Let us know.

Anyone can apply for funding, simply download an application form here and email cath@thebmc.co.uk

Supporting ACT

ACT gives you the opportunity to show your commitment to the outdoor environment.

See below for 2 easy ways to donate and support the worthwhile projects that ACT funds:

1. Donate online via PayPal
2. Donate when you renew your BMC membership

Additionally if you are thinking of making a will, why not let the conservation of our uplands be your legacy.  For further infomation email cath@thebmc.co.uk

If you do donate to ACT, then make sure you apply for gift aid. You can do this by downloading and returning the ACT gift aid form here. 

Thank you for your support!

Where does the ACT money come from?
From a number of places including individuals, companies, outdoor centres, climbing walls and clubs. As ACT is a registered charity, donors can take advantage of tax initiatives and incentives.

ACT donations 2014
ACT is extremely grateful to all its supporters without whom none of its work would be possible. In December 2014, ACT gratefully received a significant donation from a generous benefactor and member of Midland Association of Mountaineers. This legacy will mean that we can continue to help protect and repair the places we love to visit.

The Trust very much welcomes corporate donations and would like to acknowledge those made in 2014 from Colchester Climbing Club, EAH Recycling, UK Climbing Ltd and the Yorkshire Mountaineering Club. Many thanks also to everyone who has made an individual contribution; these are vital for the work of the Trust.

Who decides how to spend the money?
The trustees comprise of access and conservation experts from around the country. They have experience and understanding of the needs of climbers, hill walkers and mountaineers. It is their role to select suitable projects to support across England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales to get the maximum benefit from donations received from contributors

What are the main differences between ACT and the Crag Care Fund?
The Crag Care Fund exists to help support projects that directly benefit the crags, with the emphasis being on practical work.  The main differences are:

• Scale: ACT will aim to support larger projects with greater financial contributions.
• Geographical Coverage: ACT supports projects throughout the whole of the British Isles with a landscape and regional focus.
• Objectives: ACT aims to support a broader range of projects than the Crag Care Fund. Projects will focus on the sustainable use and conservation of the outdoor environment. 
• Legal Status: ACT is a charitable Trust making gift donations etc much more straightforward and tax efficient. 

BMC Mend Our Mountains campaign

The BMC's crowdfunding campaign to fund eight urgent upland repair projects on some of Britain’s most iconic peaks was launched on 14 March 2016 and it became one of the most successful crowdfunding appeals for mountain paths.

Thanks to more than 2500 pledges to the Mend Our Mountains campaign a total of £103,832 was raised on Crowdfunder.  ACT kindly donated £8000 to the projects and was a major supporter of the campaign.

Working with eight national parks, the campaign will help fund repairs to damaged paths on some of Britain’s most popular peaks, including Snowdon, Scafell Pike, Ingleborough, Kinder Scout and part of the Brecon Beacons Horseshoe, as well as contribute towards vital repairs to moorland on Dartmoor, Exmoor and the North York Moors.

Read more here:

“We did it!” £100,000 target reached for Mend Our Mountains campaign

Mend Our Mountains lives on – you can still donate

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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