UKC

We recently found out that there are plans to dissolve our climbing club - University of London Mountaineering Club (ULMC). 

As a  club with 75 years worth of history, and one of very few London clubs to trad climb, it would be detrimental to have our club dissolved and funding cut.

I know that some of you will know firsthand the value a climbing club can bring, perhaps been part of our club once or you may even have stayed at one of our huts - Caseg Fraith.

Please help and save a student climbing club amongst other University of London clubs and societies by signing the petition below.

Thank you! 

https://www.change.org/p/university-of-london-collegiate-council-protect-th...

I know you'd lose funding (which when I was a student was not a huge sum), but could you become your own independent club affiliated to the BMC instead?

Yes we are exploring this as an option. I think for us it would be devastating to lose the funding as this lets us run affordable trips as well as pays for any guides and training courses at a affordable price. It gives an opportunity for students from low income backgrounds to access rock climbing which is especially expensive and has many other barriers in London. 

I will try to posts any updates. 

You can read more about the club's history here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EtPMY1H_8mfOpbzAy3rtt5hM0x4IajZc/view?fbcl... 

I don't really understand the university's rationale. For undergraduates, university doesn't just represent three years of academic study and  qualification - it defines a whole three years of their life, minimum, at a formative and influential age. You can't just stop providing student-led interest and activity groups - they're an essential and core part of the undergraduate experience.

Would you study at a university like that? I wouldn't. The mountaineering club was the highlight of my entire degree for me, even though I wasn't a particularly long-standing or active member.

The University of London is a federal university - the constituent institutions all have their own clubs & societies so students would still have access to those. It probably makes sense for some things to be done at the UoL level though - most individual institution clubs would struggle to keep a hut going for example.

I would be interested to hear what's actually behind this - I think some of the institutions are in a pretty dire financial situation.

I didn't go to UoL but I've stayed at Caseg Fraith many times and have very fond memories of it.  Belonging to my own university mountaineering club was a defining part of my time at university and led to life-long friendships, it was far more important than the course itself.

No doubt this is intended to save money,  but it can only damage the university - who would go to a uni without sports and social clubs?  It is astonishing that this is being considered without proper consultation with the clubs and the student body.

Another thread on this here - https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rock_talk/protect_university_of_london_mo...

I am archiving this one.