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To: SportScotland, Shaun Roberts, Head of Glenmore Lodge (SportScotland)

SAVE THE MOUNTAIN WEATHER INFORMATION SERVICE

Sign the petition

14/09/16 - We Won!

SportScotland and the Mountain Weather Information Service have just released a joint statement confirming that the service is safe, and guaranteeing another three year's worth of investment.

Congratulations to everyone who signed the petition!

Read more here: https://home.38degrees.org.uk/2016/09/15/save-mountain-weather-information-service/

SAVE THE MOUNTAIN WEATHER INFORMATION SERVICE

To fully reinstate the co-operative funding to the Mountain Weather Information Service (MWIS) thus reversing it's closure on 31st December 2016.

Why is this important?

● The Mountain Weather Information Service (led by Geoff Monk) is a non-profit making forecasting service that has been providing detailed mountain forecasts for the last 13 years.

● MWIS is recognised as a unique, highly trusted source of quality mountain weather safety information: the forecasts receive several million hits a year, and MWIS was judged "overwhelmingly the forecast of choice" by 2,000 mountain users in a 2015 SportScotland survey.

● Since 2007, SportScotland has funded MWIS to provide a service that aims to maximise mountain safety.

● In 2015, MWIS, SportScotland and the Met Office began a 3-5 year collaborative project aimed at ensuring the long-term future of MWIS's quality mountain forecasts. In relation to this new project, on 7th March 2016 the Met Office wrote "Sportscotland, MWIS and the Met Office are now exploring ways of working more closely together so that we can really maximise the skills and strengths of our organisations to provide even better mountain weather services for Scotland. We are listening to the feedback and looking at how forecast services can be improved. For example we are looking at the content, format, frequency and language used as well as how digital technologies can be used to increase access to mountain weather information."

● However, in July 2016, SportScotland informed MWIS that it would be removing funding as of 31st December 2016.

How it will be delivered

The petition will be delivered to Shaun Roberts, Head of Glenmore Lodge (SportScotland) as the funding decision to withdraw funding support to MWIS was made by SportScotland.

It is my intention to deliver the petition in person at a time and place to be agreed. The press and local media will be informed in due course.

This campaign was a Success!
15,236
of 20,000 signatures

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Last signed by:

Scotland

Maps © Stamen; Data © OSM and contributors, ODbL

Categories

Reasons for signing

  • Weather for most people might at worst a minor inconvenience or the subject of a joke but mountain weather in the worst case can be a matter of life and death.
    Noel D. 2016-09-13 16:17:16 +0100
  • I signed even though the petition has already been a success. I feel very strongly that such services are vitally important and are likely to be more important as time goes on.
    Tom D. 2016-12-08 18:58:59 +0000
  • This is a vital tool to help make good decisions on days out in the mountains
    Colin F. 2016-09-11 09:49:57 +0100
Read more

Updates

2017-09-27 23:12:25 +0100

Petition is successful with 15,237 signatures

2017-02-20 17:11:05 +0000

Petition is successful with 15,231 signatures

2016-11-18 10:42:28 +0000

Petition is successful with 15,208 signatures

2016-09-23 09:42:49 +0100

Petition is successful with 15,083 signatures

2016-09-22 22:20:12 +0100

Petition is successful with 15,082 signatures

2016-09-15 10:44:37 +0100

Petition is successful with 14,471 signatures

2016-09-14 20:55:58 +0100

A message from MWIS to all that supported the petition 😎

Thank you to everyone who signed the petition in support of the Mountain Weather Information Service continuing. We have been amazed and humbled by the huge level of response. We are delighted that sportscotland has assured us that funding will continue - please see our website for our full joint statement with sportscotland: www.mwis.org.uk. We are now more committed than ever to make MWIS forecasts as good as they can be. Please continue to use the forecasts, give us feedback about how we can improve and enjoy the hills safely. From the MWIS team"

Many thanks again Kevin - we can't stress enough how thankful we are. Best wishes,
Felicity

2016-09-14 20:44:48 +0100

Great news.

http://www.mwis.org.uk/home

2016-09-14 15:44:51 +0100

Anyone down Cumbria way willing to be interviewed by ITV on the importance of the MWIS service send me an email via this site.

Big thanks
Kevin

2016-09-13 23:20:18 +0100

10,000 signatures reached

2016-09-13 21:20:54 +0100

Brilliant ☺ 9000

2016-09-13 20:07:36 +0100

NOW OVER 8000 👍

2016-09-13 19:17:37 +0100

Questions asked in the Scottish Parliament about the MWIS.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1299718530053075&id=251794168178855

2016-09-13 18:57:46 +0100

WOW NO OVER 7000 👍

2016-09-13 13:47:42 +0100

5,000 signatures reached

2016-09-12 19:44:28 +0100

Good evening fellow Climbers, Mountainers, Walkers, Wild Campers and Bothy users.

It's been a very busy few days for all of us and I would like to thank you all for your support in signing this petition and sharing it with the wider community.
The fact that we collectively have massed in numbers over 4000+ shows just how much we value a quality mountain weather forecast that MWIS has given us.

My intention is to close the petition by Friday 16th September to allow me to make arrangements to hand it over to SportScotland. I will let you know the date and time of this in case you might want to be there.

Once again a BIG THANKS TO YOU ALL.

2016-09-12 19:24:27 +0100

A view from Cameron McNeish

http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/news/mountain-weather-forecasts-the-need-for-transparency/0015418/

2016-09-12 18:34:48 +0100

A press statement from Sportscotland

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1263479040369351&id=169457146438218

2016-09-12 14:29:45 +0100

More views from Chris Townsend

http://www.christownsendoutdoors.com/2016/09/mountain-weather-information-service_12.html?m=1

2016-09-12 13:13:25 +0100

A veteran Mountainer gives his views on MWIS.

https://heavywhalley.wordpress.com/

2016-09-11 23:47:37 +0100

24 hrs ago we started with 1 signature now we have 3000 👍

2016-09-11 23:04:29 +0100

An article from TGO

http://www.tgomagazine.co.uk/news/future-of-mountain-weather-information-service-under-threat/

2016-09-11 21:35:44 +0100

Just in case you missed the recent statement from Mountaineering Scotland here it is below.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1297781753580086&id=251794168178855

2016-09-11 19:23:06 +0100

2244 and rising. A big thanks to all that have signed and remember to get your family to sign.

2016-09-11 16:07:48 +0100

More news coverage
http://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/2016/09/11/forecast-gloomy-for-mountain-weather-information-service-as-funding-disappears#

2016-09-11 14:18:41 +0100

1500 👍

2016-09-11 14:02:33 +0100

Well 47 short but getting there.

2016-09-11 14:00:53 +0100

We are now over the 1500 mark so keep sharing. 👍

2016-09-11 13:43:20 +0100

A press release from Mountaineering Scotland but still does not address the funding of MWIS.

https://www.facebook.com/MountaineeringScotland/?fref=nf&pnref=story

2016-09-11 13:34:40 +0100

News from BBC Scotland.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-37332012

2016-09-11 11:39:08 +0100

A big thanks guys we've now broken the 1000 mark so keep sharing and it won't be long before we pass 2000. Remember to get all your family members to sign as they are the ones that are left at home when we are out on the Mountains. And I'm sure they would worry less if the MWIS is saved. 👍

2016-09-11 11:29:54 +0100

1,000 signatures reached

2016-09-11 11:03:53 +0100

Some more info from MWIS.

MWIS is asking those in the mountain community who use MWIS forecasts to declare their support for MWIS by writing to Shaun Roberts, Head of Glenmore Lodge (SportScotland) ([email protected]) and Richard Orrell at the Met Office ([email protected]) asking them to reinstate MWIS funding, and copying in [email protected].

2016-09-11 09:43:06 +0100

Details of SportScotland funding history can be found here.
http://www.sportscotland.org.uk/news/archived-news/sportscotland_funding_supports_safety_in_the_mountains/

2016-09-11 09:36:00 +0100

500 signatures reached

2016-09-11 03:34:10 +0100

100 signatures reached

2016-09-11 00:09:18 +0100

50 signatures reached

2016-09-10 23:50:43 +0100

25 signatures reached

2016-09-10 23:43:49 +0100

10 signatures reached