Leeds Mountaineering Club

The Committee

Chair

Sara Hayes

I'm Sara, and currently the first women Chair (or so I believe!), and have a general overview of the club.

I organise and chair committee meetings, the A.G.M and any other extraordinary meetings. I liaise with the BMC, on things which may have an impact on the LMC and also take a lead on training and safety for our members.

I've been a club member for about 6 years and think it’s the most sociable and approachable not to mention, fabulous mountaineering club I know!

Treasurer

John Nightingale

Hi I'm John and I am the Treasurer. I collect subscriptions, and send most of the money to the British Mountaineering Council to pay for insurance. I also bank the cheques that you pay for hut trips, and then pay the hut owners. I try to keep up to date accounts, so that you won't sack me at the next AGM. I walk a lot, and climb a little and very badly.

Meets Secretary

Karl Harrison

My interests are mountaineering, traditional climbing, sport climbing and banter.

My official role is to prepare a fun-filled calendar with hut and camping meets throughout the UK and I am also responsible for ensuring meet leaders have all the necessary information and keys etc.

My unofficial role is to ignore members feedback on hut meets ensure everyone has a terrible time and never wants to go on another meet, thereby reducing the number of members and making my role far easier in the long-term.

Membership Secretary

Andy May

As the Membership Secretary, I am usually the first ‘official’ point of contact (at least in an administrative sense). I keep the membership database in mint condition and try to encourage new members to join and be active in the club.

I have been a member for around ten years. Enjoying the opportunity to climb, mountaineer and generally have fun in the great outdoors, with like-minded souls. I also have a side-line in gate building, but no real interest in horticulture.

Communications

Lindsay McMorran

I'm Lindsay and my role as Communications secretary is to advertise the club to potential new members and to ensure that existing members know about upcoming events and any other important information. This really plays to my strengths of talking a lot, wasting time on social media and sending "witty" emails.

When I'm not spamming people (who have voluntarily opted in to receive our newsfeed email, obviously), I enjoy climbing, walking, acroyoga, aerial hoop, questioning my life choices while balanced precariously on a rock/person/hoop, cake and other baked goods and craic, which is similar to Karl's banter except that it's occasionally funny.

Social Secretary

Hayley Smith

After joining the club in 2018 I've been on many extraordinary climbing trips away in Wales, the Lake District and the Peak District as well as some magical walks around the Yorkshire Dales. It was about time I gave something back to the club so here I am as Social Sec for 2020. My main duties are organising the (best ever!) annual dinner, the summer bash and other social events (send me your requests!) like the monthly Tuesday social.

I'll do anthing that gets me outside but mostly climbing and walking with some yoga thrown in for good measure.

Climbing Coordinator

Martin Wells

Hi, as climbing coordinator I schedule the summer Tuesday evening outdoor climbs at Yorkshire’s fine gritstone crags, consult the outdoor climbers on suitable establishments for the post-climbing socials and organise occasional day meet in the sunny peak district.

If you want to join the club, please register on the web site, send us a quick email and either come down to The Big Depot climbing wall on a Tuesday evening or join us outdoors (see the meets calendar) we’ll try and pair you up with climbers of a similar ability.

Walking Coordinator

John Armitage

John is very friendly and is great fun to be out in the hills with. If you want to know more about John the best way is to join him on one of the walks!

Ordinary Member

David Ponting

As an ordinary member and first-timer on the committee, I'm looking forward to finding out exactly what I've let myself in for... In mountaineering terms, I was fortunate enough to be introduced to the mountains in my teens, and have spent my time since then walking, scrambling, climbing and skiing whenever I've had the chance! After spending years in the flat fenlands of Cambridge, moving up to Leeds three years ago - with beautiful countryside on our doorstep - has been an excellent choice and I have thoroughly enjoyed exploring said countryside and beyond with the club. Away from the mountains, I'm a research scientist by day and a keen photographer, cook and gardener.

Ordinary Member

Sarah Sharps

As an ordinary member, my role is to bridge the gap and be a general dogsbody for anything our grand master demands. I am a special one though as I am currently also BMC Area Chair for the Yorkshire Area so will be acting as a direct link to the BMC for any related issues.

I enjoy climbing mostly, that’s ‘ma thang’ - indoor and outdoor. I dislike gritstone but climb on it anyway because apparently it’s the done thing around here; I guess I do enjoy a good hand jam or two... at least when my tiny hands fit. I am an occasional walker, rarely straying into mountaineer territory, generally found prancing about in the Lake District in the summer with a bag full of snacks and a mega flask of tea. I also enjoy photography, film making, desktop publishing and I occasionally find time to podcast.