High standard for inaugural awards mean one trophy will be shared
Three outstanding individuals, from Perthshire, Fife and Glasgow, have been recognised in the inaugural Mountaineering Scotland Awards.
The awards were launched by Mountaineering Scotland to recognise and celebrate exceptional contributions to mountaineering and climbing in Scotland through personal achievement and volunteering. Award winners receive specially commissioned fused-glass artwork as trophies.
The awards were made at Mountaineering Scotland’s AGM in Perth on Saturday, when the President, Mike Watson congratulated all three winners, remarking that the standard of nominations was so high that judges had been unable to narrow the volunteer category down to one winner and had to make a joint award.
He said: “The volunteering award is an innovation by Mountaineering Scotland to recognise the huge contribution that volunteers make to a whole range of activities within the mountaineering community, and the fact that a joint award has been made, encompassing the development of young people with an interest in mountaineering, through to preserving Scotland’s mountain landscape, illustrates the width of interests within then organisation.
“The Young Climber of the Year Award demonstrates not only the outstanding commitment of the individual to developing her own skills, but also her willingness to encourage others, some of whom may be relatively disadvantaged children.”
The ClimbScotland Young Climber of the Year Award went to Caitlin Connor, a young climber from Cambuslang, Glasgow, who has combined success in climbing competitions with a willingness to promote charitable aims to make an outstanding contribution to the Scottish climbing community over the last year. In March 2015, Caitlin raised over £1000 for charity by personally ascending 100 challenging climbing routes of 6a or above in a single day, and she is now organising another sponsored climb.
The Mountaineering Scotland Volunteer of the Year Award was shared between Thom Humphrey, from Dunfermline, Fife, who helped found and develop the highly successful Carnegie Junior Climbing Club, and retiring Mountaineering Scotland Director, Dave Gordon, from Scone in Perthshire who has volunteered his own time and effort for the organisation for the last four years.
