Our Corporate Social Responsibility
Skarbek supports great causes
Jonathan Conville Memorial Trust
Skarbek Associates is pleased to be supporting The Jonathan Conville Memorial Trust in aiding its future development and building on its vision and mission for the years to come. Through running a series of Skarbek-led Integrated Planning Sessions, the Trustees were able to come together to align on the Trust’s ambitions and objectives, as well as collaborate within a virtual ideas session to generate creative fundraising opportunities. Equipped with a new bolstered mission and vision statement, the team was able to discuss the directions for the charity, as well as incorporate these strategies to achieve their short and long-term goals. The highest priorities are to improve income by seeking regular donations from past attendees, increasing take-up by disadvantaged young people of the Trust’s UK based courses, and enhancing the appointments system for Trustees.
About The Trust:
The family of Jonathan Conville established the Trust after he died on the Matterhorn in the winter of 1979, aged 27. He was a sound, ambitious climber, whose boundless enthusiasm for the outdoors led to a love of climbing that provided constant challenge and excitement. The Trust aims to provide opportunity for life-changing mountaineering experiences for as many young people as possible. This is achieved through offering subsidised places on alpine mountaineering courses for young people aged 18 to 30, who express a keenness to pursue outdoor adventure. The courses equip participants with an armoury of tools and skills that will enable them to safely progress their passion for the outdoors, as well as develop their leadership and teamwork abilities. They will learn about planning, collaboration and risk; and in the hills, put these into practice and also test their endurance and resilience. From 1991-2021, JCMT has supported a total of 4,711 places on its courses.
The Trust is a registered charity and dependent upon donations from like-minded individuals, grant-giving bodies and corporations that share their 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 big outdoors, as well as expanding their courses to open up these opportunities further.
As long as there are mountains, there will be a place for the Trust, and Jonathan’s memory will live on in the young people who find joy, challenge and adventure in climbing them. For further information, or to donate, please visit: https://www.jcmt.org.uk/
Wendy Searle – South Pole 2020
Skarbek Associates is proud to have sponsored Wendy Searle in her recent challenge, showcasing the limits of human endurance. Wendy successfully reached the South Pole on 8th January 2020, after skiing solo for 43 days, unsupported and unassisted. Her journey covered over 700 miles of ice and snow, crevasses and katabatic winds.
As Wendy made her way across the frozen wastes of the Antarctic continent, her mental strength was tested to the limit. Challenges included physical hardship, isolation, monotony, sub-zero temperatures, whiteouts and the life-threatening danger of crevasses.
Working with Dr Nathan Smith and Exeter University, Wendy has recorded data on her mental state both during the expedition itself and in the run up to the trip. Data gathered from the team will form part of a study into mental health at the limits of human resilience and this work will also continue to gather evidence for research into female resilience, something which is close to Skarbek’s heart and exemplified through our namesake, Krystyna Skarbek.
Find out more at https://southpole2020.com/.
Kiko Matthews – Solo Atlantic Crossing
Skarbek Associates supported Kiko Matthews in her successful attempt to break a World Record for crossing the Atlantic. On 22 March 2018, she became the fastest female to row the Atlantic, solo and unsupported. Kiko completed the challenge in 49 days 7 hours and 15 minutes, beating the previously held record by a week. The journey took her across 4,819km (2,602 nautical miles), from Gran Canaria to Port St. Charles, Barbados.
Read more about her journey here.
Forces Wives Challenge- Re-enacting the Hereos of Telemark
Skarbek is proud to be sponsoring Forces Wives Challenge on their most recent expedition, a re-enactment of ‘The Heroes of Telemark’, one of the most courageous and critical special forces operations of World War II popularised by the 1965 Hollywood movie with the same name. Force’s Wives Challenge aims to inspire the partners of serving armed forces personnel to participate in and set up their own adventures. They are also the world’s first all-female team to retrace steps of a special forces mission to prevent Hitler building an atomic weapon.
Read more about her journey here.
Jonathan Conville Memorial Trust
Skarbek Associates is pleased to be supporting The Jonathan Conville Memorial Trust in aiding its future development and building on its vision and mission for the years to come. Through running a series of Skarbek-led Integrated Planning Sessions, the Trustees were able to come together to align on the Trust’s ambitions and objectives, as well as collaborate within a virtual ideas session to generate creative fundraising opportunities. Equipped with a new bolstered mission and vision statement, the team was able to discuss the directions for the charity, as well as incorporate these strategies to achieve their short and long-term goals. The highest priorities are to improve income by seeking regular donations from past attendees, increasing take-up by disadvantaged young people of the Trust’s UK based courses, and enhancing the appointments system for Trustees.
About The Trust:
The family of Jonathan Conville established the Trust after he died on the Matterhorn in the winter of 1979, aged 27. He was a sound, ambitious climber, whose boundless enthusiasm for the outdoors led to a love of climbing that provided constant challenge and excitement. The Trust aims to provide opportunity for life-changing mountaineering experiences for as many young people as possible. This is achieved through offering subsidised places on alpine mountaineering courses for young people aged 18 to 30, who express a keenness to pursue outdoor adventure. The courses equip participants with an armoury of tools and skills that will enable them to safely progress their passion for the outdoors, as well as develop their leadership and teamwork abilities. They will learn about planning, collaboration and risk; and in the hills, put these into practice and also test their endurance and resilience. From 1991-2021, JCMT has supported a total of 4,711 places on its courses.
The Trust is a registered charity and dependent upon donations from like-minded individuals, grant-giving bodies and corporations that share their 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 big outdoors, as well as expanding their courses to open up these opportunities further.
As long as there are mountains, there will be a place for the Trust, and Jonathan’s memory will live on in the young people who find joy, challenge and adventure in climbing them. For further information, or to donate, please visit: https://www.jcmt.org.uk/
Wendy Searle – South Pole 2020
Skarbek Associates is proud to have sponsored Wendy Searle in her recent challenge, showcasing the limits of human endurance. Wendy successfully reached the South Pole on 8th January 2020, after skiing solo for 43 days, unsupported and unassisted. Her journey covered over 700 miles of ice and snow, crevasses and katabatic winds.
As Wendy made her way across the frozen wastes of the Antarctic continent, her mental strength was tested to the limit. Challenges included physical hardship, isolation, monotony, sub-zero temperatures, whiteouts and the life-threatening danger of crevasses.
Working with Dr Nathan Smith and Exeter University, Wendy has recorded data on her mental state both during the expedition itself and in the run up to the trip. Data gathered from the team will form part of a study into mental health at the limits of human resilience and this work will also continue to gather evidence for research into female resilience, something which is close to Skarbek’s heart and exemplified through our namesake, Krystyna Skarbek.
Find out more at https://southpole2020.com/.
Kiko Matthews – Solo Atlantic Crossing
Skarbek Associates supported Kiko Matthews in her successful attempt to break a World Record for crossing the Atlantic. On 22 March 2018, she became the fastest female to row the Atlantic, solo and unsupported. Kiko completed the challenge in 49 days 7 hours and 15 minutes, beating the previously held record by a week. The journey took her across 4,819km (2,602 nautical miles), from Gran Canaria to Port St. Charles, Barbados.
Read more about her journey here.
Forces Wives Challenge- Re-enacting the Hereos of Telemark
Skarbek is proud to be sponsoring Forces Wives Challenge on their most recent expedition, a re-enactment of ‘The Heroes of Telemark’, one of the most courageous and critical special forces operations of World War II popularised by the 1965 Hollywood movie with the same name. Force’s Wives Challenge aims to inspire the partners of serving armed forces personnel to participate in and set up their own adventures. They are also the world’s first all-female team to retrace steps of a special forces mission to prevent Hitler building an atomic weapon.
Read more about her journey here.