We are a Scottish charity that provides grants to projects and organisations that promote public recreation, knowledge and safe enjoyment of the mountains, especially in the mountains of Scotland.
Our work is financed by donations from individuals and organisations who share our values, and from the publication of guidebooks for the Scottish Mountaineering Club and other books connected with the Scottish Hills.
75 colleagues of Marty Stephens at KPMG have raised over £27,000 for the SMT in his memory, by completing the mammoth Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge.
The walk in early May this year went under the banner of The Marty Stephens “Smash It” Challenge. It keeps alive his legacy in the professional services firm KPMG in two ways.
Marty had been planning to lead a 3 Peaks walk, bringing together his passion for the outdoors with the chance to build team spirit and collaboration. And the walk’s title recalls his can-do attitude: when a deadline or challenge seemed too hard, he would always say “Don’t worry, we’ll smash it!”
And smash it they did. Not only did everyone complete the 24-mile challenge with over 5000 feet of ascent; but before the day was out they’d passed their £20,000 target, and before long donations had climbed past £27,000.
As a result of Marty’s love for Scottish mountaineering, his KPMG colleagues had selected the SMT to be the beneficiary of their fundraising. The organisers explained that, given Marty was “a Scot who loved climbing and the outdoors, we couldn’t think of a better organisation to support and to honour his memory.”
The 2023 event, say the organisers, “was a resounding success, and next year’s is already in mind.”
John Fowler, Chair of the SMT said ” I want to thank Marty Stephen’s colleagues for their inspiring and generous work, and wish them good fortune with their challenges in future years.”
Smash it! Main fundraising page: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/martystephenssmashitchallenge
Kingussie Community Development Company (KCDC) has won a £9000 SMT grant for work on the Creag Bheag path near the hill’s summit. The path is “the jewel in the crown” of the town’s 20-mile path network, and will soon provide an even finer circular hill walk, with fantastic views across the Spey valley.
The SMT has made a £20,000 grant to the Venture Trust charity so that more vulnerable people can benefit from a wilderness journey through highland Scotland. These journeys are the centre of VT’s intensive programme for people who face the barriers caused by addiction, poverty, unemployment, a convictions history, or mental health troubles.
This Scottish charity runs courses for 10–18 year olds, mainly at indoor and outdoor climbing walls. and with an award of £1960 from the SMT, they’ll help more youngsters start climbing in Scotland’s great outdoors in 2022.
