University News Last updated 28 September 2011
A student from Birmingham City University has set up a trust fund in honour of his brother.
Joe Brownhill, a final year student on the BA Architecture, established the James Brownhill Memorial Fund following the tragic death of his twin brother, James, in a climbing accident.
James Brownhill died on July 1st on the Frendo Spur, above the Chamonix in the French Alps. The memorial fund will provide bursaries to people who volunteer in university climbing clubs to receive specialist training in teaching others correct techniques and rope work for enthusiasts to be as safe as possible when climbing.
The James Brownhill Memorial Fund is administered by the Mountain Training Trust who award the bursaries to successful applicants, who will then be directed the Plas-y-Brenin National Mountain Centre where they will be accepted onto either a Single Pitch Award or a Winter Mountain Leader Course.
Joe has been featured on the BBC programme Helicopter Heroes, which showed how Joe saved James’s life following an accident at Stanage Edge in the Peak District in June 2010, using first aid knowledge learned at Birmingham City University’s Rock Climbing Club.
Joe said: “The memorial fund was set up following James’s death. For us it is a way of preserving James's name and his attitude to safe climbing.”