Called the greatest Englishman of his age’, the late Lord Hunt of Llanfair Waterdine gave positive impetus and direction to the lives of millions in the second half of the 20th century. Inspiring Achievement is the deliberately ambiguous title of an anthology of contributions on his life and work, to be published in October by the Foundation for Outdoor Adventure in association with the Institute for Outdoor Learning. The book pays tribute to his own awesome achievements and at the same time refers to the countless initiatives that he spawned, directly or indirectly, aimed at encouraging others to achieve for themselves.

John Hunt had a passionate lifelong attachment to wild and mountainous country, matched by a belief in the potential for growth and leadership of every human being and a certainty that experience of the outdoors and the challenge of adventurous journeys are a means of achieving that growth. He demonstrated that one person can make a difference. He embraced social inclusion long before the phrase was coined. He understood how important it is for young people to discover their own values, to test themselves, to measure their ability to help others, to develop awareness of their roles and duties as citizens, so as ultimately to define themselves in terms of their potential for giving. Most of the 90-plus contributors knew and worked with Lord Hunt or the organisations with which he was connected. But Inspiring Achieve-ment is not merely a paean of praise for one man, although it contains many recollections of him and tributes to him. Essentially the book seeks to reflect on the changes that have taken place in society as a result of his thinking and work, to consider the current trends in youth work and to look to the future in ways that may be helpful to readers who know little of the man himself.

The project was conceived as a way of commemorating John Hunt, as an end in itself but also as a way of raising funds for the John Hunt Award Trust, which, under the aegis of the FOA, makes annual awards to encourage and support enterprising work by, with, and among dis-advantaged young people. It is hoped that the book will appeal not only to Lord Hunt’s numerous admirers but also to people engaged or interested in youth work, outdoor learning and the environment, education generally and the great social issues of today.

Inspiring Achievement is to be launched at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) on 15th October, 2002. The IOL will have primary responsibility for distributing the book. Outlets ñ many of which were suggested by contributors ñ include clubs and societies with which Hunt was connected, e.g. The Royal Geographical Society, Alpine Club, Commando Association, Climbers Club, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme; and the book will be widely publicised in newsletters and journals, not to mention by word of mouth. School libraries may also be a promising outlet.
FURTHER INFORMATION : Inspiring Achievement will be a 304-page softback containing 16 pages of pictures and priced in the region of £15.