Cosygate: BMC 200,000 Pound Loan to the – Climbers Club
Monday, August 16th, 2010
July, 2010: At a time of economic depression for many in the UK, the Climbers Club (CC) are seeking a, not unsubstantial loan, of 200,000 pounds from the – British Mountaineering Council (BMC) climbing’s representative but would be governing body. Two years ago, the BMC wasted a considerable amount of members / taxpayers money when it flooded the UK climbing scene with – 10,000 expansion bolts. It would appear, that at a time when the British government is concerned about the nations housing problem, the CC want to buy a – hut! and a very expensive hut at that. In 2009, when no doubt the above mentioned loan was first mooted, the CC staged its glittering guidebook anniversary lunch (100 Years) that was attended by, in the main, the wealthy great and good, members who could have raised the 200,000 pounds – over drinkies. Surely? Apparently, the BMC’s treasurer is also the treasurer of the – Climbers Club! You couldn’t make it up…
And then of course, there was the Lindagate affair when 20,000 pounds of members / taxpayers money went missing, Brazilgate (a South American scam) and Brenin(This Spendid Enterprise)gate**, when the charitable MTT faught off the competition (Glendale Leisure) by lobbying the then government thus landing a 450,000 pound government con-tract; annual government hand-out of taxpayers money with which to compete in the outdoor pursuits market and then there are the ’skeletens-in-the-cupboard’ mentioned in-passing in the BMC’s book: ‘The First Fifty Years’, page xi in the Editorial Introduction. And then of course there was the political machinations of the Mountain Leadership tussle for control of a muti-million pound market.
In 1986 the BMC had already made a 6,000 pound (a considerable amount twenty four years ago) loan (there may have be more) to the CC… At a time when the BMC was trying to put other climbers already offering services to climbers (reduced coach travel for climbers with National Express and then Eurolines was already being offered when the BMC – pounced) out of business, the BMC was making a considerable loan to the CC to create a – guidebook! Well maybe you could make it up if you really tried… ‘We lobbied the government in order to get the management of Plas-y-Brenin away from Glendale Leisure’, Glendale being the Sports Council’s original preferred bidder in 1996, Glendale who’s bid was made in pounds sterling by the date set by a European Directive. Just ten years before, the then General Secretary of the BMC thought that PyB was a: ‘needless waste of money that could be more needfully spent elsewhere’, he went on to mention the status quo and vested interests in the place and that people did not need such a palatial; expensive place in which to learn to climb (Climber magazine 1985).
** ‘Faced with a loss of moral amongst the staff and an uncertain future, the Advisory Committee of Plas-y-Brenin took the step of lobbying government in order to block the transfer to Glendale leisure. The national ‘governing’ bodies had a vested interest (along with a 450,000 pound annual incentive) in maintaining the status quo at the Centre. Their backing – combined with that of Martin Doyle (BMG) and the Centre staff – helped, and the negotiations (Sports Council – Glendale Leisure) broke down’. Step forward the cobbled-together Mountain Training Trust…
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=421196 http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=412534&v=1#x5884326 http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=1775
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