Maryam Sheikh

Hi, I’m Maz and I would love to be your next Diversity and Inclusion Officer!

Asha has been an incredible Diversity and Inclusion Officer this year, and I would be honoured to follow in her footsteps, organising round two of the Girls and Gender Inclusive trip (and hopefully turning this into a yearly tradition!) and keeping the ICMC Girls and Gender Inclusive WhatsApp Chat an active and encouraging space for advice and support.

In addition, I would aim to:

• Organise introductory workshops for people who are new to climbing, ran by instructors who are sensitive to diverse needs and abilities.
• Set up an inclusive gear swap where members can swap or donate gear, making it more accessible to people with financial barriers.
• Organise socials and climbing meet-ups/workshops aimed at and led by climbers from groups often underrepresented in mountaineering, such as and LGBTQIA+, women/gender inclusive and POC climbers.
• Host film nights screening films/documentaries which showcase diversity in climbing.
• Create a survey for members to voice their feedback and ideas for making ICMC a more inclusive space.
• Regularly highlight the variety of experiences and achievements of our climbers, through either the weekly email or WhatsApp chat.

Climbing can seem daunting and not very accessible for a lot of people, and I’m excited to have a chance to make it a more inclusive and welcoming environment :).