Sadly our friend Grant Cunliffe, who went missing in the Cairngorms a couple of weeks ago, has not been found despite the best efforts of the MR teams. His sister-in-law sent me this appeal, which I thought may strike a chord with many of you. If you wish to support the appeal then I know his family will be very grateful in these tragic circumstances.
THE GRANT CUNLIFFE MEMORIAL APPEAL
for the
CAIRNGORM MOUNTAIN RESCUE TEAM of the SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS.
This appeal is designed to say thank you to the men and women who searched valiantly for Grant when he disappeared in the Cairngorm Mountains in January 2012.
At some point in our lives we may all need the help of strangers - people who can be our guardian angels.
The mountain rescue teams are mostly funded by private donations and members volunteer their time freely. Some of the men looking for Grant had a daily four-hour drive home after several gruelling days searching on the Cairngorm Mountains.
Grant’s family will continue to support this organisation, with everyone’s help, in Grant’s name.
Details of the appeal:
Donations can be made to the following bank account from where all money will be passed directly to the Cairngorms Mountain Rescue Team*
The Grant Cunliffe Memorial Fund c/o HSBC bank
Branch Sort Code: 40-40-10 Account Number: 91470965
Alternatively donations may be made direct to the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue via Paypal on their website’s fundraising page at [b]http://www.cmrt.org.uk[/b]
Below is a tribute from one of the people who knew Grant well, the manager of the Humphrey Head outdoor centre in North Yorkshire. He sent this message to Grant’s widow and daughters on hearing of his disappearance.
“This is a difficult letter to write because I cannot believe that Grant has gone missing in the mountains. Also, it must be a desperate time for you and you are all in our thoughts and prayers. It is also difficult to write about Grant when he has not been found. However, I feel I need to say that Grant was a like a “breath of fresh air” when he came to freelance at Humphrey Head. I loved having him at the Centre as he was caring and full of enthusiasm. He put himself out to give youngsters in his care quality days. His passion and energy were like a beacon in the Centre. I enjoyed climbing with Grant – he had great affinity with being in the mountains and it was a joy and pleasure to share some ice climbs with him. I also liked his honesty and caring nature. Grant stood out as caring about the future of Humphrey Head – he could see its unique value for youngsters from North Yorkshire. He worked hard to try and help save Humphrey Head and was a great support to me during difficult times towards the Centre closing. If Humphrey Head had come back to fruition and if I had control of staff, Grant would be at the top of my list to employ for his hard graft and his vision for what he could bring in the outdoors to the lives of youngsters. My memory of Grant is that he was a lovely man, fun and with a lot of heart and soul.”
*C.M.R.T. Reg. Charity No SCO10737; for further details www.cmrt.org.uk/index.htm
