Meet your 2024 TGO Reader Awards winners
THE GREAT OUTDOORS Reader Awards is the UK’s biggest democratic celebration of the best of outdoor culture.
Twelve years ago, we launched our first annual awards – and our readers have been championing the people, places and businesses that make our adventures better ever since. An overwhelming 44,000 votes were cast this year – more than double last year – demonstrating the growing breadth and ever-burgeoning brilliance of Britain’s outdoor community.
THE EXTRA MILE AWARD
CATEGORY
The volunteers of the Mountain Bothies Association (MBA) maintain simple shelters for the use of all who love wild and lonely places. The MBA’s Neil Stewart told The Great Outdoors: “Thanks to all who voted for us. The award recognises the work done by all our volunteers – the Maintenance Organisers, those who so readily attended our work parties, and those members who work so hard on the administrative side of the Association. It is because of their efforts that the 100-plus bothies that the MBA maintains throughout Great Britain continue to offer shelter in remote areas for all who seek it.”
Kitsquad provides second-hand adventure, hiking and camping gear to low-income individuals. Founder Fran Pearson told TGO: “This is amazing and very unexpected. Thank you so much to everyone who voted for me. I absolutely love running Kitsquad. But without the generosity of the outdoor community, Kitsquad would simply not exist. So, this award is a reflection of everyone who has supported Kitsquad.”
Once again, we opened The Reader Awards across 15 categories including the Open Outdoors award, pub of the year, campaigner of the year, brand of the year, and more. What makes these awards different – and gives extra kudos to the winners – is that it’s you, the outdoor-going public, who decide the results. Only your nominees make it onto the shortlist, and your votes decide the winners. The nominee with the most votes in each category receives a Winner award, whilst the nominees with the second- and third-most votes both receive a Commended accolade.
Your votes also are a barometer of our community’s collective needs, passions and concerns when it comes to preserving our natural environment, opening up better access to all, and empowering all adventurers to get the most out of their own time outdoors.
Congratulations to all those shortlisted – and, of course, to 2024’s TGO Reader Awards commended nominees and winners.
BRITAIN’S MOUNTAIN RESCUE TEAMS
An incredible 71% of voters wanted to honour every single volunteer who is on call, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to rescue those in need in the mountains.
Bill Glennie, Scottish Mountain Rescue Chair, told The Great Outdoors: “We are thrille
