Meet your 2020 BMC Volunteer Award winners

From GB Paraclimbing team member and youth coach to a hill-walking rep extraordinaire and a local area star, all of them are well deserving of their award.

BMC President Lynn Robinson says: “It was an absolute pleasure to surprise the 2020 recipients of the BMC awards: George Band, Rehan Siddiqui and Young Volunteer in virtual meetings with them.

Ron Kenyon and Peter Judd are both worthy recipients of the prestigious George Band Award. Ron has carried out lengthy and wide-ranging voluntary work over his lifetime…and he shows no sign of slowing down. The voluntary work that Peter is involved in has had a huge impact on the BMC, its members and the wider hillwalking community.

What better person to receive the Rehan Siddiqui this year than Jesse Dufton. What an amazing few years he’s had, and a true inspiration to everyone. He is a role model in how disability need not prevent someone from pushing their limits in multiple areas of climbing.

I first had the pleasure of meeting Kody Bradley, the Young Volunteer Award winner, at a youth climbing competition. It was really great to meet someone who started out through the youth competitions and who is now putting an outstanding commitment back into them.

Thank you also for those who nominated people for awards this year. I look forward to meeting Ron, Peter, Jesse and Kody in 2021 to formally present them with their awards”.

What are the BMC Volunteer awards?

The BMC Awards acknowledge the hard work and commitment that goes into making our community great. Whether it’s a dedicated volunteer, an innovative club lead, an exceptional athlete, or a ground-breaking initiative, we aim to shine a spotlight on those who elevate hill walking, climbing and mountaineering in the UK. This year we have selected three individuals for two categories:

THE REHAN SIDDIQUI AWARD(S)

For Exceptional Voluntary Contribution towards promoting Equality and Diversity in the BMC, recognising those who have made a significant voluntary contribution to the BMC’s commitment to increasing opportunities for under-represented groups to participate in climbing, hill walking or mountaineering and the work of the BMC.

GEORGE BAND AWARD

The George Band Award for Exceptional Voluntary Contribution to Mountaineering recognises people who have played a significant role in the BMC’s work over an extended period of time.

YOUNG VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

The Young Volunteer of the Year Award was established in 2018 and recognises those young people (under 27 years of age) who have made a significant voluntary contribution and commitment to the BMC, thereby acting as role models to other young people, to encourage volunteering in the BMC.

LORD GREAVES AWARD

For Voluntary Contribution to BMC Access and Conservation work, to recognise volunteers who work tirelessly to promote access to and protection for the countryside we all love.

Anybody involved with the hillwalking activities of the BMC will know Peter and appreciate the extraordinary depth of service he has provided to the organisation. He is passionate about hillwalking, the countryside and the people who make the BMC a diverse and thriving community.

To name but a few of his achievements, Peter is a longstanding and proactive Hillwalking Rep for the Peak Area, co-organiser of 2020 BMC Hillwalking Event and 2018 BMC Hillwalking Symposium, a vocal advocate for the Hills 2 Oceans campaign and The Climate Project. He organised the Mend Our Mountains launch walk at ShAFF 2018, and was instrumental in the success of the Great Ridge Light Night event, which garnered national media coverage. He has been the Chair of the Hillwalking Implementation Group since 2017 and supports the national network of hillwalking reps.

Even if you don’t think of yourself as a hillwalker, even if you’re not a member of the BMC, Peter’s work has probably had a positive impact on your experiences with the organisation and in the outdoors. Peter is a champion of hillwalking, and an ally to hillwalkers

Ron has been a committed volunteer in the world of mountaineering. He has also been active in developing new routes in the Lake District and further afield throughout his climbing career. Here is just some of the volunteer work he has done:

He was a founder member of Eden Valley Mountaineering Club and has been the driving force that kept the club active and he gives freely of his time with new and prospective members often at the expense of his own climbing.

He has also organised for a number of years (1999-2006 / 2015-2019), Youth Meets for the FRCC/BMC. He has encouraged young climbers on a one-to-one basis for many years introducing them to safe practice but also firing their imagination about climbing through his infectious enthusiasm. He was also ahead of the game when it came to competition climbing and organised climbing competitions at Penrith wall focussing largely on children before the time of a wider national competition structure. Early participants were Emma Twyford, James McHaffie and Adam Hocking.

He is the Access Officer for the Eden Valley. This is a very active role as a number of crags have had access issues for climbing over the years, is also the BMC Lakes Area Secretar, was a trustee of Mountain Heritage Trust and was an active member of Penrith Mountain Rescue Team for many years (1967 – 92).

In 2007 he rejuvenated The Cumbria Bolt Fund during the BMC’s better bolt campaign. The wider Cumbrian climbing community will know him as the driving force that led to the building of the Penrith Climbing Wall. His passion for sharing his love of the sport with others and his selfless giving up of time to this end make him an inspiration.

Jesse has volunteered for BMC by being a guest speaker at BMC area meetings and similarly giving time as a speaker at BMC sponsored events.

He is inspiring to BMC members in his well prepared presentations about his passion for climbing, his ambitions as a climber and member of the GB Paraclimbing team and as an example of diversity. Since an early age he has climbed, although he was born with very poor vision which has deteriorated and is now severely visually impaired (he is only just able to distinguish light from dark).

However the nomination is more about what he has done for diversity and inclusion in climbing across the UK. His recent ascent of The Old Man of Hoy with his climbing partner (and now wife) is an unparalleled achievement, the first blind person to lead it (and by the E1 route).

He is also determined to succeed in the competitive para-climbing world as a member of GB Team and is a medallist at international climbing championships, most recently gold in the Dutch Championships in the B1+B2 categories.

He climbs trad and sport, has ice and Alpine climbing ascents and an expedition to Greenland to his name. Jessie is a fantastic ambassador for diversity in climbing, as he is for climbing generally; he is an individual who has achieved great things as a climber, but has also shared these experiences and shown what can be achieved, even with a visual impairment. A worthy recipient of the Rehan Siddiqui Award.

Kody volunteered to act as one of the Area Co-ordinators for Yorkshire and North East two years ago and has since helped to organise the running of the Youth Climbing Series. He gives up his time to climbing coaching and competitions and fits this in with his working shift pattern. He is a very dedicated member of the team and his time and effort is appreciated.

Anyone helping to deliver a YCS puts in a lot of effort and can have a really big effect on the young people they engage with and the tone they set in the events. It's great to see a young person as an Area Youth Co-ordinator so that competitors see other opportunities to get involved with climbing in addition to coaching.

The Awards

For 2020, the BMC commissioned artist Andy Parkin to create unique sculptures to be given to the winners. Due to the AGM being held virtually this year, the award winners will be invited to the 2021 AGM to receive their award at the President's dinner.

Our dedicated and passionate network of hundreds of volunteers are the lifeblood of the BMC.

We have a vast range of volunteers:

• Local levels
  • Focussed on local activities and action, areas meetings etc
• BMC committees
  • With relevant skills, experience or expertise, supporting the work of the BMC by contributing to strategic direction and offering their advice and knowledge on certain matters – access groups, club committees, technical committees etc
• Members council
  • Those who act as a representative body of the members, consulting with and constructively challenging the board of directors.
• Board members