Our Equity and Diversity Statement explains our position on ensuring equal access to mountain activities and training for everyone. It also highlights the ways we are trying to improve the way we address potential imbalances to provision. Please note that we have deliberately entitled this statement ‘equity’ rather than ‘equality’. The World Health Organization (WHO) define equity as “the absence of avoidable or remediable differences among groups of people, whether those groups are defined socially, economically, demographically or geographically.” An explanation of the differences between this and equality is explained here.
Peak Mountaineering Ltd has always been committed to equal opportunity and fair treatment to all involved in climbing, hill walking and mountaineering. The outdoors has played a vital role in our wellbeing and we want nothing more than to share the benefits we’ve gained with others.
With that in mind, we want to ensure that all people, irrespective of race, belief, age, gender, sexual orientation, social background or family circumstances all enjoy the opportunities to participate in the activities we offer.
We are also acutely aware that participants from many of the categories listed above are under-represented in all mountain sports. We see that this will only change if positive action is taken to encourage and support the participation of people from these groups.
With this in mind, we have compiled an action plan that informs the steps we will take over the coming year (Jan 2021-Jan 2022). Our progress against this action plan will then be assessed and a new plan formulated. A copy of this action plan is available on request, but we have outlined the key action points for this period below.
- We will strive to better showcase diversity in the images and illustrations selected for our website.
- We will seek ways to ensure our website and other advertising literature encourages the participation of under represented groups in outdoor and mountain sports.
- We will aim to employ instructors from a more diverse range of backgrounds and encourage people from different groups to enter the outdoor industry.
- We will continue to oppose discrimination in all forms and always seek ways to allow equal inclusion in our activities. We do accept, however, that the nature of some of our activities may prevent participation from some people. If this happened it would be due to, for example, practical issues caused by a disability.
- We are aware that financial barriers sometimes prevent inclusion in the activities we offer. We will build on the success of the free activities we already offer (such as our Pick & Play and Pick & Play Summer Tour) and try, when possible, to offer support to participants unable to fully self fund.
We are learning all the time and we see our current Equity and Diversity Statement as very much a starting point. We very much welcome your thoughts and suggestions on how we improve what we are doing. Please do Contact Us to share your ideas.