The Trust
Providing young people with life-changing mountaineering courses.
Our Mission
The outdoors was transformative in enriching Jonathan’s life.
The Trust wants to ensure that young people from all walks of life, and especially those who otherwise might not have the opportunity, experience the challenges and rewards that mountaineering offers. Through building their knowledge, confidence and ability, we want to support and encourage young people to go forth safely and reach their most ambitious mountaineering goals.
We achieve this by partnering with best-in-class mountaineering instructors and using our resources to subsidise training, allowing young people from 18 - 30 to access the highest quality mountaineering training available.
In the hills, our students practice and test their endurance and resilience under careful instruction—learning true humility in the vastness of our natural world. Incredible experiences are shared, deep friendships forged, and over time a community of Jonathan Conville graduates have been built to support, mentor, and inspire the next generation of aspiring mountaineers.
As long as there are mountains, there will be the Trust, and Jonathan’s memory will live on in the young people who equip themselves to find joy, challenge, and adventure in climbing them.
Funded by Your Donations
We cannot achieve our mission alone.
The Trust is a registered charity and dependent upon donations from like-minded individuals, grant-giving bodies and corporations that share our vision to build the confidence of our young people through mountain training.
All funds raised will be directed toward training young people to adventure and climb safely in the great outdoors.
Our Patrons
Sir Chris Bonington CBE
From the very outset, Sir Chris Bonington has been a proud supporter of our work. When the Trust was first established by Jonathan’s father, Michael Conville, and uncle, David Conville OBE, Sir Chris, as one of the UK's leading and most experienced mountaineers, seemed a natural fit as patron and they were delighted when he accepted their offer to join the Trust. Sir Chris shares our long-term vision of encouraging and assisting young people to train for and pursue their love of the outdoors, safely.
Sir Chris started rock climbing in his teens, and was commissioned in the Royal Tank Regiment in 1956. He then spent three years in North Germany, and went on as a mountaineer instructor, teaching at an Army Outward Bound School. It was during this time that he started climbing in the Alps. Sir Chris did work for Unilever as a Management Trainee, but realised that he could never combine a conventional career with his love of mountaineering. His biography of ascents is quite extraordinary, and worth reading on his website. He is also an author of twenty books, and star of numerous TV documentaries, and became increasingly interested in the study of leadership, starting with his own experience as a successful expedition leader, and using this to explore a wider application. He completed a very successful management training video “Leading to the Top”, and for several years has lectured to the Sloan Programme of The London Business School and Cranfield University where he is a Visiting Fellow.
Photograph courtesy of Stuart Walker, Chris Bonington Picture Library.
You can read more about Sir Chris on his website: bonington.com
Andy Cave
In 2007 Andy Cave became our second Patron. As a cutting edge alpinist with several formidable first ascents to his credit, we were delighted when he accepted to be our second Patron, and supporter of our Charity’s work. As one of Britain’s leading mountaineers, he also teaches, has a Phd in socio-linguistics and is an IFMGA International Mountain and Ski Guide. Andy has also written two books Thin White Line and Learning to Breathe about his life as a mountaineer.
He devotes his time to motivational work with young people, helping them to achieve their full potential, so his work here in the Trust is anatural extension of his passions.
Andy said ” the Trust is something that I have valued and admired for years. Such service to young, relatively inexperienced mountaineers is truly a great thing and I am sure Chris feels exactly the same way. The fact that it has been going for such a long time is brilliant, and a testimony to a lot of hard work and good organisation…” With a very hectic schedule Andy has still managed to find time to accompany guides and participants on our alpine courses in Argentiére.
Photograph courtesy of Paul Diffley/HotAches. You can read more about Andy on his website: andycave.co.uk
OUR PARTNERS
The Scottish Mountaineering Trust (SMT) are a grant-giving body, providing funding to organisations and projects that “promote public recreation, knowledge and safe enjoyment of the mountains, especially in the mountains of Scotland.”
In line with this central ethos, the SMT have supported our Scottish Winter Courses with generous grants over a number of years.
The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) is the national representative body for climbers, hill-walkers and mountaineers in England and Wales. It has had a long relationship with the Trust, supporting our work financially with a regular annual donation.
We have also worked in close collaboration with the BMC on resources related to mountain safety such as the Winter Essentials and Alpine Essentials DVDs.
The Alpine Club is the world’s oldest mountaineering club. Founded in 1857, it works to provide its members and the wider mountaineering community with the resources, networks and requisite skills to practice alpine climbing throughout the globe.
In 2024, out of a desire to support future generations of alpinists, the Alpine Club committed to provide the Trust with an annual donation to cover the cost of 10 places on our Summer Alpine Courses.
OUR TRUSTEES
NEIL MCADIE
CHAIR
I started climbing in the 1970’s with a self-taught pathway which led to an exciting first Alpine season at age 18.
I am hugely aware that my early Alpine seasons would have progressed less riskily and more skillfully had I had the benefit of attending a JCMT course, and can see the enormous benefit that they bring to young climbers progressing to the Alpine environment. The Trust is a cause close to my heart and in 2021 I was lucky enough to join as a trustee, with a particular focus on fundraising through developing supportive partnerships with the outdoor industry.
In 2020 I retired after spending 30 years working in a number of sales and marketing roles for well known outdoor clothing and equipment brands.
SUE LOUISE
I joined the Board in October 2021 as Treasurer. I am a Chartered Certified Accountant and my experience includes financial systems and management, governance, human resources and IT. I have worked and volunteered with a wide range of charities and voluntary organisations for over 40 years.
I love being outdoors, cycling, hiking and camping. I also love climbing, though vertigo now prevents me from going up anything much higher than Snowdon! Nevertheless, I am very keen to support young climbers go as high and as safely as they can.
In my spare time I play the ukulele, learn Spanish and practise as an End of Life Doula.
CHRIS DODD
I am now retired, and was Relationship Manager with Sport England, the national development agency for sport, in the North West. Between 1981 – 1988, before that I was Training Officer with the British Mountaineering Council. Not surprisingly, I am a keen mountaineer. I have completed all the Munros, and am making an impression on the Corbetts.
I have also climbed half the 4,000ers in the Alps. I love music, and enjoy playing the cello in my spare time.
ANDREW DON
I was a close friend of Jonathan from our teenage years until his death in 1979. We were the same age (born in December 1952) and served together in the Parachute Regiment. I was extremely fond of Jonathan’s parents, Anne and Michael who both did so much to promote and support this charity. I am one of the original Trustees. For the last 30 years I have been a Solicitor specialising in Family and Divorce work and in addition I sit as a Deputy District Judge in the County Court (Civil).
I have been married for 25 years and have four sons. I live in Hampshire. In my spare time I help my wife to run her Smallholding and her flock of sheep. I enjoy being in the mountains and outdoor pursuits generally. In January 2011 I joined one of the Conville Scottish Winter Weekends and in recent years have taken part in the Alpine Courses completing an ascent of Aiguille du Tour – part of the Mont Blanc range.
DAVID DRAPER
I retired some 5 years ago as estate manager at a holiday park in the Lake District where I have worked for the last 20 years. Before that I was employed for 25 years in outdoor education, specialising in teaching climbing and caving. I was on the 1966 Munjan expedition to the Hindu Kush in North Eastern Afghanistan and was also a member of the 1971 Anglo Welsh expedition to Western Nepal.
I was chairman of Derbyshire Cave Rescue Organisation for 6 years in the late 70’s/80’s. I was involved with the Trust from its inception and served on the selection committee for many years before becoming a Trustee.
AMY ILLINGWORTH
I was a Conville Alpine course participant whilst a student, my first time mountaineering in the Alps, and benefitted from the safety skills I gained. I am passionate about exploring the Alpine environment, particularly ski touring. I am based in Chamonix, where our summer courses are held, which means I often get the pleasure of meeting course participants. I want the Conville courses to continue for many years so that more people can benefit from the joy of Alpine climbing. I joined the Trustee board in 2018 as part of the finance committee. In my professional life I work in the insurance industry.
JON GARSIDE
I was introduced to the Trust soon after joining the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) in 2004 as Training Officer. I immediately felt a great affinity to the Trust’s aims and ethos of supporting and empowering young people to explore the mountains. The Trust’s unique offering within mountaineering and the longevity of its programme is something very special, and I was very happy to join as a Trustee in 2019.
Soon after joining the BMC I was involved in producing the Winter Essentials DVD, a good practice resource for climbers and mountaineers. The Trust kindly contributed to the DVD’s production costs as well as to the Alpine Essentials DVD a few year’s later, a resource even closer to the Trust’s heart. The BMC makes a modest financial contribution to the Trust each year to support its work.
TOM SKELHON
I made the leap into alpine mountaineering after attending a Conville course as a student in 2010. Since then I haven't looked back and have climbed around the world including the Alps, Andes and the High Atlas range in Morocco. I'm currently based in Chamonix where I climb, ski and mountaineer all-year round. I work as a scientific technology sales specialist for a global optics manufacturer.
I became a trustee in 2021 with a focus on fundraising for the trust. My motivation is to make climbing and mountaineering accessible for those who want to get involved, but may not have the means, skills or confidence.
ADAM BUTTERWORTH
I fell in love with climbing at university and spent the first few years after I graduated living in the French Alps. It was here that I developed an enduring interest in the high mountains. Since then I have worked for a number of outdoor brands and now run my own company, providing digital communications services to charities, membership organisations and other businesses.
I became a trustee in 2021 with a focus on the Trust's digital presence. I want to help the Trust reach a wider variety of people online, to showcase the incredible work we do and to offer more digital resources to aspiring mountaineers.
KATRINA TAEE
I am Jonathan’s sister. I have a nursing and counselling background but currently work as an End of Life Doula and teach courses on that subject.
I am not a climber myself but enjoy walking and being outdoors. This Trust has been a passion for many years and gives me great pleasure and pride.
After 21 busy and rewarding years as Chair of the Trust, I handed this responsibility over to Neil McAdie in November 2023.