At the December 2021 meeting of the Grant Making Committee a request was made for a grant to assist in the fitting out with specialised equipment of a new off road rescue vehicle for the Rossendale and Pendle Mountain Rescue Team.
The committee agreed a grant of £1,000 towards the £2,000 cost of a much-needed stretcher for this vehicle, with a further £1,000 being granted by the Masonic Charitable Foundation. The application was made in the name of Burnley & Pendle District Charity Steward, WBro Ray Evans. This has also been added to by donations from the Burnley & District Community Fund and from Abbey Lodge.
After several delays due to technical difficulties the new vehicle is almost ready to go into service with the Mountain Rescue team.
On the evening of Wednesday 13 September the team held an open evening at their base in Burnley as a mark of appreciation to their supporters. WBros Ray Evans, David Dunn, David Clayton and myself attended representing the ELMC.
The new vehicle looks superb and joins a fleet of other very specialised multi function vehicles. We were told that the basic cost of the MAN four-wheel drive, all terrain, vehicle was £35,000, with a further £15,000 to fit it out plus our £2,000 stretcher. All this cost has to be raised by the team from its supporters.
In a presentation prior to us viewing the fleet we were informed about the operation of the Mountain Rescue team. They work in very close co-operation with the Police, the Fire Service, the North West Air Ambulance and HM Coastguard Helicopter Service. They are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week and fifty-two weeks a year. In other words they are always on call, averaging 50 to 80 call outs a year and operated by some 35 members.
They work alongside North West Ambulance service and North West Air Ambulance, known as Helimed.
We were shown a selection of specialised equipment used for many different difficult rescue operations, which includes water rescues and domestic rescues like assisting the ambulance service to move patients from demanding situations.
There are many locations where neither the normal Ambulance Service or the Air Ambulance or the Coastguard helicopter can reach. This is where the Mountain Rescue team has its expertise, its main purpose being to locate and access the patient and transfer to the normal ambulance as they cannot transfer to hospitals.
This amazing service is provided by dedicated volunteers supported only by donations from its supporters and the general public.
See Also: https://www.rpmrt.co.uk
Report & Pictures
Gerry Russell
Communications Officer, ELMC
