15 July 2013

NEWS RELEASE

Young people enjoy a great day out with Mountain Rescue

Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team in the North East of hosted a great day out for some very special children and young people last weekend (Saturday 13 July), organised with the other rescue teams from across the North East Search and Rescue Association. The sun shone too, just to make a day full of adventures even more special.

Background Each year, mountain rescuers host an event that brings together children and families from several charities with a Royal connection. Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge is the Patron of Mountain Rescue England and Wales (MREW) and he and his brother, Prince Harry, encourage their various charities to work together to promote their work and create opportunities for disadvantaged young people.

Mike France from MREW explains: “For the last five years, different regions of Mountain Rescue have organised a day of outdoor activities for young people from several associated charities. This year, these were Centrepoint, which provides accommodation services for socially excluded homeless young people, WellChild, which supports children and families in managing the consequences of serious illness and the Child Bereavement Charity, which supports families affected by the loss of a child or children suffering bereavement.”

In previous years, this amazing event has been held in the Lake District (Patterdale 2009 and Keswick 2012), North Wales (2010) and the Peak District (2011). This year it was Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team and the other five teams in the North East region who were proud to host the event in and around the Cleveland MRT base at in North .

The North East day “Planning for the day has been underway for over a year,” says Cleveland MRT Deputy Team Leader, Carl Faulkner. “We managed to arrange accommodation and a wide selection of activities suitable for all the different age groups, abilities and agilities of the children, young people

and families and everyone – more than 25 children and young people in all - seems to have had a great time.”

Cleveland MRT was supported on the day by members of the North of Tyne, Northumberland National Park, Scarborough and Ryedale, Swaledale and Teesdale and Weardale teams as well as RAF Leeming MRT and members of the Search and Rescue Dog Association (SARDA). Activities included bushcraft, a visit to a mine at Kildale and demonstrations of search and rescue techniques as well as orienteering and abseiling.

“Lunchtime back at Great Ayton was a bit special too,” explains Carl Faulkner, “as many of the local emergency services that we work with on a regular basis also joined in. Assistant Chief Constable Sue Cross from Police, who is also the president of the North East Search and Rescue Association, led the involvement of all the Police and Ambulance services from the region. We had a visit from an RAF Sea King helicopter from Leaconfield, police dog and Scene of Crime Officer demonstrations, a visit from the local Fire and Rescue Service (complete with sirens and flashing lights) and five SARDA dogs – who always steal any limelight. The younger children, in particular, loved the search dogs.”

Feedback and comments since Saturday have been overwhelmingly positive. Hannah Bemand, WellChild’s family coordinator, told Mike France of MREW: “This is the second time I’ve been lucky enough to attend this annual event. It would be great if all our staff could see for themselves what a great day this is for the children. It is so different for these children and their families - an opportunity they will not get anywhere else and they have had a great day out.”

One of the support workers from Child Bereavement, who lost her parents when she was young, said: “If there had been something like this at the time, it would have given me something else to think about. Thank you all of you - the children have loved it.”

Carl Faulkner concluded: “Everyone involved, about 160 people in all, was there on a voluntary basis to make this a great day for all the children, young people and their carers and families. Their obvious enjoyment and excitement was the best thanks possible and I’d like to thank all the local businesses who also contributed to making this such a fantastic occasion.”

ACC Sue Cross added: “It gives us great pleasure to support events like this. Today’s event has been fun, exciting and inspiring and I would like to thank

the organisers for their tireless work, not only for today, but every time they turn out in their own time to help others in distress.”

The day concluded with a hog roast at the Cleveland MRT base and the presentation of individual photograph souvenirs and ‘goody-bags’ to all the children and families, presented by Carl Faulkner and ACC Sue Cross from North Yorkshire Police.

Meanwhile, it was still business as usual for the rescuers.

Eight members of the Team went to the assistance of a 14-year-old BMX bike rider in a quarry near Great Ayton during the afternoon. They carried the young man, who had broken his arm, to a waiting ambulance. “We had plans in place to deal with such eventualities,” said Barry Warrington for the Team, “and a number of Team members were on stand-by throughout the day to respond at a moment’s notice.”

ENDS

Caption: Pete Roe of Swaledale MRT with a group of caving novices from the Child Bereavement Charity in Kildale Mine.

Caption: About 160 people in all were involved in an amazing day of adventures, organised by the mountain rescue teams of the North East.

Further media information Sally Seed, MREW Barry Warrington Judy Whiteside, MREW Cleveland MRT 01539 624732 07801 320212 0161 702 6080

Janice Bryan, Media and PR Officer North Yorkshire Police 01609 789123