New clubs and how to register your club with the BMC

Whether you have an established club ready to register to the BMC; have questions about what registration may mean to you, your club, and its’ members; or would like to set up a club but are not sure where to start, this is the right place for you.

Setting up a new climbing, hill walking or mountaineering club

Mountaineering, climbing and hill walking clubs come in all shapes and sizes, from 15 members to 1500+ members, to those offering hill walking only to those offering multiple mountaineering activities, and to clubs focusing only on under 18’s, only on adults and for all ages.  Some clubs own or manage facilities such as mountain huts / bunkhouses or climbing walls.  Some clubs are part of a larger organisation, such as a school, climbing wall or youth centre.

Key considerations:

The activities

Decide exactly what you want your club to offer. Will it focus on families, hill walking, outdoor climbing, or competition training? How often will activities run: weekly, monthly, or seasonally? Where will you meet, and will this change throughout the year or follow an academic timetable?

The structure

Clubs can be set up in different ways. Many climbing and mountaineering clubs are unincorporated associations run by volunteer committees elected by members, but other structures exist and there is no single best option. Your choice may affect the type of BMC registration you can apply for, what funding you can access from organisations like Sport England or Sport Wales, and what bank accounts you can open. You can find more information about club structures here.

The people

Work out which roles your club needs, then recruit people to fill them. Common roles include treasurer, secretary, activity organiser, membership officer, safeguarding lead, and possibly instructors or coaches. You may also need someone for equipment, communications, and a chair or president. At the start, individuals may take on more than one role or share responsibilities until you have more volunteers.

Some roles will be needed early on to help set up the club, while others will be more focused on running activities once you are established.

The BMC provides training for club volunteers, including safeguarding, supporting novice members, and committee skills. Some training is available only to members of registered clubs or is offered at a discount

The future

Even at the beginning, think about where you want the club to be in two, five, or ten years. Growth does not always mean more members. It can mean more volunteers, better training, or creating opportunities for members to develop skills such as scrambling, winter walking, learning to lead, or transitioning from indoor to outdoor climbing. It might also mean helping members achieve personal goals like the Welsh 3s, classic climbs, or competition pathway selection.

Plan for how fast you want the club to grow and what you will need to support that growth, whether more volunteers, more training, or more equipment. If growth becomes too fast, have a system in place to pause recruitment.

Further help

Some of these options may help you as you set up your club:

• Register your interest in setting up a club with the BMC

• Check out the BMC Club Support Pack with lots of information for climbing, hill walking and mountaineering clubs.

• Read more about BMC Club Registration.

• Check out Buddle from Sport England for excellent club management resources, or Sport Wales if you are based in Wales.

• Get in touch with us here clubs@thebmc.co.uk