Mountain rescue teams in England and Wales are pressing for
government funding with a decision due later this year says Maria
Clegg.
Writing in voluntary sector magazine, Third Sector, Clegg dissects
the funding problems besetting MRTs pointing out that far from just
plucking climbers from cliff faces, teams are increasingly involved
in more general rescues, such as abseiling down to help in
appropriate road traffic incidents or searching for missing
people.
Each of the 53 MRTs in England and Wales costs between
£20,000 and £80,000 annually with the volunteer teams
depending on voluntary contributions from bequests, donations,
fund-raising events and so on.
That puts a huge strain on team members, who are not only on call
24 hours a day, 365 days a year, but on top of regular training
sessions, must also find the time and energy to to organise and
attend fund-raising events. As many of the UK's 3,500 rescue team
members are settled people in their 30s and 40s, the pressure on
their time and families adds up.
Now though, the Mountain Rescue Council of England and Wales, the
national charity representing MRTs, the British Cave Rescue Council
and the Search and Rescue Dog Association are pressing for government
funding to support mountain rescue.
Scottish teams are already funded to the tune of £400,000 per
year, but in England and Wales there's only a minimal £30,000
per annum which goes towards medical equipment and, in Wales, just
£18,000 per year from the Welsh National Assembly.
The MRC is adamant that the service will remain free but hopes
that the Government will follow the lead of the Scottish Executive
and provide funding without restrictions on how it's used. The
likelihood of support will become clearer later this year when The
Department of Transport Select Committee on Rescue Services, chaired
by Gywneth Dunwoody, presents its findings.
According to one team member, as little as £5,000 per team
would make a huge difference. Until then though, the collecting tins
will still be the main source of funding.
You can find the full story at the Third
Sector web site.
