Awards and Bursaries
James Brownhill Memorial Fund
This fund was set up by James' family following his death on 1st July 2011, on the Frendo Spur in Chamonix, France. James was an avid climber and mountaineer. His love for climbing led him to develop skills in every climbing style but it was in Alpine and Traditional climbing where he sought to improve most. His consistent passion for climbing led to involvement with his university club, an opportunity to share enthusiasm, skills and knowledge with like minded individuals.
The fund aims to encourage and foster a higher level of safety, good practice and sustainability within university climbing clubs. The fund will award volunteer leaders within the clubs with bursaries to undertake courses to consolidate and develop safe climbing practice for teaching new and inexperienced climbers in individual and group situations.
Each year bursaries will be awarded to part fund training courses run by Plas y Brenin National Mountain Centre. Courses attracting bursaries include Mountain Leader Award, Single Pitch Award, Climbing wall award. To apply for a for bursary download an application form here.
Gerald Harris Memorial Trust
Gerald Harris was an enthusiastic and experienced mountaineer who as a teacher spent a great deal of his time sharing his love for, and knowledge of the mountains with young people. He was a well-loved, much respected member of the outdoor community as well as regular and welcome visitor to Plas y Brenin.
Following Gerald's death his family set up a trust fund in his memory. Today The Gerald Harris Memorial Trust aims to help other teachers gain the necessary qualifications to lead groups of young people in the mountains of the United Kingdom. As a result, each year a number of teachers and others will be able to take advantage of subsidised places on a Mountain Leader Training or Walking Group Leader Training course at Plas y Brenin. If you would like to be considered for one of these places, complete an application form and a booking form and send both to the Gerald Harris Memorial Trust at Plas y Brenin.
Godfrey Jackson Memorial Award
Godfrey Jackson was a very keen mountaineer who had a particular love for snow, ice and winter climbing. He derived a great deal of pleasure from the climbing he did throughout the world and always had a keen interest in helping young people to climb. Godfrey was also a good friend and supporter of Plas y Brenin. Following his death, Godfrey’s family established a trust fund which helps young people between the ages of 18 and 23 gain experience of snow and ice climbing so that they can further their mountaineering. The training is provided through Plas y Brenin.
Each year 8 places will be available in Scotland on our Scottish Winter Mountaineering course . If you would like to be considered for one of these places complete the booking form at the back of the brochure and send it, together with a brief letter outling your mountaineering experience and why you would benefit from this opportunity, to the Godfrey Jackson Award at Plas y Brenin by the 30th November 2008 .
Jonathan Conville Trust
The Trust was set up by the family of Jonathan Conville following his death on the North Face of the Matterhorn at the age of 27. The Trust has provided several thousand subsidised training places on introductory courses in the Alps and in Scotland in winter since 1979. This valuable support to safer mountaineering is now administered and co-ordinated by the Mountain Training trust and Plas y Brenin. The BMC and MCofS also support these places. Details of the application process for the 100 places on the 3 day courses based in Argentiere in July and the 80 places based in the Cairngorms in January are available. For more details click here
Kathmandu Memorial Bursary
The Kathmandu Memorial Bursary was set up by the families of Mick and Sue Hardwick, Dave Harries and Ali Cope (all of whom worked at Plas y Brenin) following a tragic air crash in 1992. The bursaries are awarded each year by the Trustees and part funds the applicants on National Governing Body Award courses at Plas y Brenin. Applications are invited from volunteer leaders and students. If you would like to be considered for one of these places complete a booking form and an application form and send both to the Kathmandu Memorial Fund at Plas y Brenin.
Click here to download more information Click here to download an application form
The Mark Clifford Mountaineering Grant
Born 27th February 1972 mark Clifford died in 2006 of Lung Cancer, aged only 34. A climber, a mountaineer, a skier, a runner, an orienteer a pilot and a top level rugby player. Mark was a gifted sportsman and outdoor enthusiast who worked in the Outdoor Trade for Rohan, then Field & Trek and finally Mountain Equip-ment as Marketing Manager. He spent 10 very happy years with Zoe - now the production manager at Mountain Equipment - They were married in September 2004.
Why Mark Clifford Mountaineering Grant? ‘To Encourage & Support Young Mountaineers go to exciting new places!’
As Marketing Manager of Mountain Equipment Mark was in charge of giving out sponsorship - many times he was approached by young teams with bold plans, yet he was out of commercial budget. Now we can change this, with the help of the board of trustees Mark Clifford’s help to mountaineers, lives on.
Preference will be given to young mountaineers in new climbing areas that take the pressure off ‘Honey-pot’ regions, ambitious first ascents, educational or scientific new projects or wild remote explorations - especially in the interna-tional ranges. Every year Mark’s friends and family will contribute to the charitable Trust fund, every year Mountain Equipment - Marks employer - will underwrite and donate to ensure the continuity of the grant. The grant is up to £2,000 in any one application, and intended to assist small teams - two people teams preferred - with high ambitions in the mountains but small pockets!
For full details visit www.markclifford.co.uk.
