Steve McClure argues that it makes sense for the whole climbing, mountaineering and hillwalking community to speak with one clear voice for greater influence. That's why he will be voting Option A in the upcoming BMC AGM. If you haven't voted yet, then make sure you have your say.

Steve McClure:

1 The BMC needs to be recognised as the national representative body for climbing, hill walking and mountaineering. It makes so much sense; we can speak with one clear voice for greater influence.

2 I think the BMC will be stronger and better by focusing on being an umbrella body for all climbers. And that’s a lot of people: almost two million hillwalkers, around 100,000 outdoor climbers and 170,000 indoor climbers. 

3 Access to our outdoor spaces is one of the most important things in our lives! A stronger BMC will be more effective at fighting for your access rights to crags and, when needed, buying crags for all climbers.

4 Option A is the only way to keep moving with Sport England funding. This was directly responsible for setting up BMC TV, which has created a library of skills films, short festival entries and excellent climbing films which provide inspiration and information for everyone. Without Sport England funding, very few of these films would have been made.

5 With competition climbing growing hugely, it is essential that the BMC is recognised as the national governing body for competition climbing in the UK. We have masses of talent coming through with real potential, and I think we need to support our teams as much as we can.

I feel the answer is a simple one: vote Option A.

This is an article promoting Option A. The recommended option from the BMC National Council (supported by the Organisational Review Group, BMC Board of Directors and BMC staff) and Mountain Training.

Please do vote in our upcoming AGM
We need 75% of the votes to be in favour of one option in order to adopt a new constitution. If you're a BMC member, please check for an email from ERS for your personal URL to vote. It's quick, simple and only takes a minute. 

WATCH Steve McClure BMC Ambassador on BMC TV:

WATCH Steve McClure climbs Britain’s hardest climb, Rainman 9b:

Your AGM: Thanks for your vote!

This year's historic AGM had a record voting turnout, with 6,796 of those votes being made online. We want to thank everyone for having their say and helping to shape the future of the BMC. 

READ THE FULL REPORT: The BMC's historic 2018 AGM

Detailed info on the BMC AGM 2018

Find out more about the last AGM. It's a complicated topic, so start with this one:

READ: It's your BMC, and we need your vote

We were asking our members to vote on some significant changes to the BMC's constitution. Part of the discussion was the relationship between the BMC and Sport England. 

READ: What are Sport England Tier 3 and Tier 1 relationships?

There were two constitutions to vote for: Proposal A (as recommended by National Council) and Proposal B, proposed by a group of members. To learn more about the two proposals, you can read a detailed comparison written by BMC honorary solictor Martin Wragg.

READ: A comparison of alternative constitutions

How did the recommendations get decided? Read more about the process that lead to this stage, including the reports from the Organisational Review and more. 

READ: BMC Organisational Review reports

Watch the Open Forum debate

We held a debate in Manchester on 15 May for both options to be discussed. You can watch the livestream here:

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