Dominic Oughton elected as new BMC President
- Tuesday 18th June 2024
In challenging times for the organisation, Dominic Oughton was elected as the new British Mountaineering Council President at its annual general meeting recently.
The outgoing president, Andy Syme, has served as the organisation’s President since 2021 and the BMC offered their thanks to Andy for the support he has provided over the three years of his presidency and before that as his role on the National Council. Andy also sat on several Organisational Review Groups and led on the creation of the Ice Climbing sub-committee. His term coincided with a number of challenges for the organisation, including the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost of living crisis, and recent financial pressures.
Following the end of his term, Andy said: “It has been a real privilege to serve as the members' champion. When I was a small boy putting the Everest SW Face poster on my wall, or when I went on a Plas y Brenin course for my first Alpine season in 1983, I could never have imagined it being possible to have the honour of serving as President of the BMC.”
On to the new president and in addition to his new role as President, Dominic Oughton has been a BMC member for the past 30 years, including 15 years as a BMC volunteer, and is currently a trustee of Climbers Against Cancer.
He was elected with 95% of the vote and ran unchallenged. Following his election, Dominic said: "I was introduced to climbing forty years ago by my now-wife, and it transformed my life. As a long-time BMC volunteer, including nine years as Trustee of the Access and Conservation Trust, and past President of The Rucksack Club, I've seen firsthand what we can achieve together. My journey through various roles has equipped me with a deep understanding of our community's grassroots and strategic needs, I look forward to advocating for all members, fostering transparency, and building partnerships to protect and secure access to our much-loved natural spaces.”
On the changing of the presidency, Paul Ratcliffe, Chief Executive Officer of the BMC, said: "I would like to thank Andy for his years of service to the organisation and all that he has done to shape the future of climbing, hill walking and mountaineering opportunities in Britain and internationally. His passion and support during my initial months in the CEO role and whilst serving as a volunteer on CCPG have been invaluable.
“I am excited to work with Dominic in building a better culture and working on an event engagement strategy whilst also fostering his passion for climbing. I believe he will be a helpful galvaniser and a critical friend, bridging the gap between myself, the council, and the board to help strengthen the leadership spine of the BMC."
You can read more on the BMC website here