Kinder Mountain Rescue Team

urban rescue

Mobile 2 on manoeuvres

Since the world awoke to a snow covered world on Tuesday 5 January, Kinder Mountain Rescue Team has been working round the clock to man our base in Hayfield and to crew our two landrovers responding to incidents throughout Greater Manchester and Derbyshire. Over 40 team members have been involved to ensure that we reach those people most in need despite the snow and ice.

Our unpaid volunteers have clocked up over a thousand man hours since the heavy snowfall begun. We’ve been in blizzards on the high peak of Kinder Scout and the treacherous, frozen parks of Greater Manchester. We’ve driven our landrovers through ice and snow to urban areas that the ambulance service could not reach, typically to the surprise of local residents who did not expect a mountain rescue team to be operating in their cul-de-sacs and housing estates. We’ve even attended a major road traffic accident on the M60.

From sledging accidents to heart attack victims, we’ve been wherever we’ve been needed; Disley, Openshaw, Bolton, Chesterfield, Stockport, Hayfield, Stalybridge, twenty-four hours a day, whatever the weather.

We’ll help you, will you help us?

This operation would not have been possible if we hadn’t decided to improve the team’s headquarters in Hayfield in 2009. The new facilities meant that our landrovers can be housed inside, stocked with the right equipment for immediate deployment. However this crucial improvement work has left the team’s finances at an all-time low and we urgently need donations to enable the team to continue operations. The team is entirely funded by donations from the public as are all mountain rescue teams.

Kinder Mountain Rescue Team is one of seven teams in the running to be Goodyear’s Team of the Year.  As part of the ongoing partnership with Mountain Rescue England & Wales, Goodyear is running the Team of the Year Award to reward one team for their around the clock efforts, offering £2,000 to be spent on safety equipment. To find out more or vote for the team, click here.

About the team: Kinder Mountain Rescue Team (KMRT) is based in Hayfield, in the Peak District. Over twenty million people visit the Peak District annually and many of those come to see sights such as the Kinder Downfall and wander around the Kinder Edges. They might also see more than fifty men and women from Kinder Mountain Rescue Team responding to a callout or training. We rescue hikers, climbers, fellrunners, mountain bikers and the occasional sheep from the wild and high places of the Western Peak district as well as urban searches to assist police in looking for missing people.

What the donation would go towards: KMRT needs to be able to respond rapidly to callouts where life is at risk. In order to continue to do this crucial work, our base needs to be fit for purpose. We started the urgently needed renovation and extension of our existing hut this year but we need financial support and donations to purchase new equipment for the new base.

Vote here for Kinder Mountain Rescue Team

KMRT will be at the New Mills Community Bonfire on Sat 7 November. This will be held at High Lea Park, New Mills from 7pm.

Kinder Mountain Rescue Team provides a 24/7 365day a year 999 rescue service, wholly staffed by volunteers who voted last week to carry out the urgently needed renovation and extension of our existing hut at an extraordinary team meeting.

This critical work is needed to enable the team to respond rapidly to potentially life saving callouts.

Currently the team’s two vehicles are kept outside and this means a delay in responding to call outs in winter whilst the vehicles are cleared of snow and/or ice, or warmed up. There are also further delays caused by having to load equipment into each vehicle before setting off which would be unnecessary if the vehicles could be kept indoors.

How can you help?

We still need donations – not necessarily financial – building supplies are also needed so contact us if you can help with materials.  Whilst the team has the funds to pay for the work if donations are not forthcoming, it will use up most of the teams reserves.

Ever wondered how we train? We get partners, friends and other willing volunteers to spend a day on the hills pretending to be a casualty so that the Team can conduct realistic search exercises. This month’s lucky volunteer was Sal and this is her story…

Sal *enjoying* the dusting of snow

Having been promised the bribe of a dutch apple cake I finally gave in and offered my services as a casualty for the team’s Sunday exercise. These are done by the team each month for training purposes.

If anybody seeing this knows me they will know that I don’t exactly enjoy or like walking. Having not done it either since i was about 10 I was a little nervous to say the least. But I wanted to gain experience from a casualty’s point of view plus emphasise what the team do. read more…

'Can I come down yet?' Kinder's Ryan on the wall

On Saturday, Awesome Walls Stockport very kindly allowed Kinder Mountain Rescue Team to come down and raise money and awareness of the Team’s activities.

Everyone from the team who went down had a brilliant time – its not often that we can combine fundraising and climbing – so a big thank you to everyone who donated on the day.

We have recently launched an appeal for funds for a new Team Headquarters. Currently we run from a Garage in a pub car park. We have no toilet facilities, Washing or parking for Team Vehicles.

Our current base in Hayfield

On Saturday 18th April 2009 we will be holding a Spring Ball at The Barcelo Buxton Palace Hotel, Buxton. £35.00 Each or Corporate Package’e Available. Black Tie and Ball Gowns, String Quartet, Three course Dinner, Raffle/Auction and Music Plus special guests.

All proceeds on the night will go to the appeal. Any donations or Raffle Prizes please get in touch Tickets available from Chinley Post Offfice or our Press/Fundraising Officer Sally Barnett 07742811938

For more information about the Spring Ball, click here

Find out more about what we’re doing to raise money for a new HQ