Sport England looks set to increase the British Mountaineering Council’s funding over the next four years, due to rising participation in climbing and hillwalking. The £3 million investment is driven by a growth in 16-25 year olds (and mostly males ) taking part.
Almost 100,000 people regularly participate in mountaineering, which includes indoor wall climbing, outdoor climbing and hillwalking and there has a been a gradual increase in the number of climbers over the last four years
Sport England say “the sport taps into the trend for personal challenges and experiences that are about more than just the sport. However, its biggest challenge is sustaining 14-25 year old participation in outdoor forms of the sport when the economic climate means local authority budget cuts are affecting the operation of outdoor education centres.”
The BMC plans to brings together a range of organisations involved with the sport, including clubs, commercial operators of indoor walls, and national training boards. To build on outdoor activity they aim to persuade more people to try hillwalking and climbing through the Britain on Foot campaign.
They also plan to appoint four regional managers to support this work and to develop its use of social and broadcast media as a means of promoting the sport to young people.
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