Volunteer Story: Emily Ankers

Are you a climber, hill walker, or mountaineer?

I am a climber and hillwalker. I am very average at bouldering, sport climbing and trad climbing too.

What is the highlight of your climbing/hill walking/mountaineering?

I am super lucky to live in North Yorkshire and so the highlight of climbing for me is that during the summer, I can get to my nearest crag within ten minutes (although I'm privileged to have a car to get there, without a car it wouldn't be so easy) and switch off after a day of work. I love that I get to bump into my local friends there and we can enjoy getting shredded by the gritstone and watch the sunset together. It helps me replenish my mental capacity after a busy day.

Why did you choose to get involved with the BMC?

I first got involved with the BMC's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee in 2020 as a researcher on gender and climbing. I have continued to work on research around EDI and the outdoors and I wanted to share the knowledge that I had gained to help support positive action and change for EDI.

What do you do at the BMC and what impact has this had?

I am part of the gender subgroup for the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. We help the BMC to make decisions on best practices relating to gender equity. I was also part of the working group that designed the new EDI strategy, which is currently being rolled out across the BMC and is the framework that will inform EDI across the organisation. It's hard to know just now what the impact will be, but we hope it will be meaningful and long-lasting.

What projects are you involved with outside of the BMC in the climbing, hill walking mountaineering space?

Outside of the BMC, I'm currently doing my PhD focused on women and gender diverse people's experiences of climbing and wellbeing at Brunel University. I am conducting oral history interviews with climbers of all ages and abilities, which will be archived by the British Library for future generations to access. I also run Beta Magazine, which is a climbing and outdoors community magazine focused on the female experience but inclusive of all. We recently published our first printed Issue (all previous Issues having been digital), which is so exciting and the response was wonderful, you can still get hold of copies at Yonder, the Climbing Depot gyms and The Climbing Academy walls in Glasgow. We are always looking for contributors to write their stories, create art and other visual work, so if you have something to share please don't hesitate to get in touch. You can find us on Instagram and Twitter @betamagazineclub or you can email me directly at betamagazineclub@gmail.com.

What advice would you give to people looking to volunteer at the BMC?

Volunteering to support access to something you love doing is a great reason to get involved. I would say don't be shy and really don't underplay your skills and the ways you will be able to make a difference with your contributions. We all have skills to offer, and it's with diverse backgrounds and skill sets that we can thrive as a group of volunteers.

READ: Beta Magazine