Following the launch of a campaign on Monday (March 20) between Adidas, Wiggle and Muslim Hikers which aims to promote better inclusivity in the outdoors, the group received online abuse which the group’s founder, Haroon Mota, says is ‘not for the first time.’

The BMC is deeply aware of the multitude of existing factors which contribute towards inequality of access to the outdoors and is fully committed to helping raise awareness and understanding of these barriers, whilst supporting and standing together with groups or individuals who face this kind of intolerance or animosity. 

Alex West, BMC EDI Manager, said: “This kind of online abuse is totally unacceptable and allies from across the outdoor community need to come together to call out this kind of dangerous, uninformed and hurtful rhetoric. 

“There’s is no place for racism in our wild spaces - as spaces for improving health and wellbeing everyone has a right to access and feel welcome in the outdoors and the BMC celebrates and promotes a rich and diverse outdoors for all.” 

The BMC is taking positive action to support participation of underrepresented groups in climbing, hill walking and mountaineering and is set to publish a comprehensive EDI strategy this Spring which outlines a wide-ranging set of actions the organisation will take to continue its efforts to improve inequalities of access.

Listen now 🎧

Finding Our Way is the new BMC podcast where our guests are as diverse as the outdoors should be.

Hosted by BMC Hillwalking Ambassador and TV Broadcaster Mary-Ann Ochota and Expedition Leader and equity champion Cress Allwood, the podcasts aims to diversify the people we normally hear talking about the outdoors, celebrate their stories and shine a light on their insights.

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