Patrick RelayNews from the Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team

Winter 2014

Visit the Patterdale Mountain Rescue web site at www. mountainrescue.org.uk for latest call outs

We’ve been making the most of our 50th birthday. We held a party for family and friends early in the year (a big thank you to the team at the Quiet Site for the use of the barn bar), a gathering of members, past and present, in July (another big thank you,

this time to everyone at Patterdale Hall) and, most recently, an open afternoon event at the Rescue Centre. Read on for details.

Supporter, ‘Hank’ Marvin, brought along his ukulele and he and several friends provided impromptu entertainment as well as attracting passers by.

David Boston and his family visited Base for the celebration weekend. David fell from Sharp Edge on Blencathra in 2000 and was rescued by PMRT. He insists his daughter would not be around if it wasn’t for the Team.

At the end of October, the Team organised an open event at the Rescue Centre. As it was early in the half term week, there were plenty of visitors around to come and find out more about how we work, the equipment that we use and our vehicles. We were also delighted to welcome several longer term supporters and Supporters’ Club members as well as a few past casualties.

“About 40 people came along in all,” says Trustee and Base Controller, Jacquie Freeborn. “All appeared to be impressed with the professional nature of modern rescue and the technological

advances, including our new life-saving AutoPulse equipment.

It was particularly good to meet up with casualties who had been rescued and to recall the process of their rescues. We had one visitor from 2000, one from 2010 and one whom we’d rescued earlier this year!”

Among the visitors was ‘Hank’ Marvin, a supporter who brought along a ukulele with some of his friends from the Bryce Street Strummers and ended up creating a band for the afternoon.

“The music really added to the atmosphere,” says Jacquie, “and the afternoon went well overall. We are thinking of holding an open day each year for supporters and the public to come and have look round. Everyone said it was a really positive day and fascinating to see how donations are spent.”

Supporter,

‘Hank’ Marvin

Five decades of the Patterdale Team

Fifty years a Team

Visit the Patterdale Mountain Rescue web site at www. mountainrescue.org.uk for latest call out information and Team news

We celebrated our anniversary on Saturday 20 July with a gathering at Patterdale Hall of many of those who have been involved in the Team over the past 50 years.

To mark the occasion, Steve Pymm, an ex-Deputy Team Leader shot two rounds from a shot gun – as Dr Ogilvie used to do to signal a call out to Team members in the valley before the advent of pagers and mobile phones.

Stephen Gorton (87) was one of several founder members at the event and he still lives in the valley: “I have to say that I first joined Patterdale MRT as a conscript rather than as a volunteer,” he

began. “I was a close neighbour of Dr Ogilvie and he made sure that several of us nearby were all drafted into the new team. Today’s Team may be a different generation but it is still the same Team and Patterdale parish is proud of it.”

In all, three Team

Leaders past and present were at the event as well as several founder members and Christopher Ogilvie, son of the founder. Current Team Leader, Mike Blakey, emphasised in his speech: “The equipment and the technology keeps changing and

it’s great – as long as it works. But it will always be the people who make the difference and who make the Team.”

The Team was thrilled to receive a donation of more than £1000 from the Troutbeck Head Caravan Club campsite. Steve Worbey and the staff at the site have been raising money for the Team for many years but this year’s donations have exceeded all expectations with the addition of the proceeds from a couple of events on site - including another duck race!

Patterdale Mountain Rescue Association is the charity behind the Team. Its Trustees are the people who plan ahead and manage the finances and governance of the Team, its Rescue Centre and other longer term aspects of our work. There are several new faces among the Trustees in recent months including a new Secretary so we thought it worth making a few introductions.

Ian Bruce is the new Secretary although he’s been involved with the Team in various roles for many years: “I have been a member since 1978 when I joined the Team and was Association Chairman for three years from 1986. At about the same time, I was Deputy Team Leader and then Training Officer for a few years in the late 90s before giving up active

involvement in rescues. I was also involved in the development of Ogilvie House, handling the Lottery Fund Application and donors so that aspect of being a Trustee isn’t new to me.”

“I have always enjoyed my involvement with mountain rescue - many of its members are my finest friends - and taking on the Secretary role seems a useful way of continuing to be involved and to contribute. The

Association and Team are in good health but the future and change is always a challenge. There are always issues on the table, just keeping equipment up to date and also, having acquired the land on which the Rescue Centre stands, the funding and construction of a suite of changing facilities.”

Other new (or new-ish) Trustees are Glenn Bridge, Syd Burns, Will Ripley and Chris Sanderson.

Celebrating with old friends

Ian is retired and spends much of his time with his wife, Kate, travelling in search of wildlife. He’s shown here in Madagascar with a couple of red-fronted brown lemurs.

New Trustees Left to Right Ian Bruce, Chris Sanderson MBE, Glenn Bridge and Syd Burns

Members of campsite staff met with Ray Griffiths, Jacquie and Dave Freeborn and John Williams to hand over a cheque for over £1037.

With thanks to all at Troutbeck Head

WHERE THERE’S A

THERE’S A WAY

S U P P O R T I N G T H E T E A M F O R Y E A R S T O C O M E

How you can leave a gift in your will to help volunteer mountain rescuers save lives

WILL

Throughout 2014, the Team has been emphasising the value of legacies to support us in the years to come.

“We are grateful to all our supporters for their continued donations, fundraising and gifts,” says Patterdale MR Association Chairman, John Williams, “and legacies enable us to plan ahead and secure the future of the Team. Any new legacies or gifts in Wills during 2014, whatever their size, will be important to us for the next 50 years.”

The Team has worked with its legal advisers at Arnison Heelis in Penrith to put together full guidance on how to leave a legacy to the Team. This information is available to download online at www.mountainrescue.org.uk or a booklet is available on request.

Focus on the future

New faces among our Trustees

PATRICK RELAY l Winter 2014

When we were invited to take our new

trailer along to the inaugural Patterdale terrier show, little did we know that the organisers were planning to donate the proceeds of the day to the Team.

The venue was Hartsop Hall Farm and more than 100 terrier enthusiasts, including Robin Breay, the grandson of one of the original breeders of the Patterdale terrier, took part in all sorts of events. There was a dog show, a best tricks

competition, various races and a “calamity relay” which pitted owners and terriers against each other on an obstacle course of jumps, hoops and tempting plates of dog treats.

Despite a damp start to the day, all turned out well and plans are already taking shape for next year’s show. In all, the event raised more than £570 for the Team.

Terrier day raises money for the Team

We are adding three new greeting cards to the range for fundraising this year, giving us a total of ten designs as we’ve now sold out of a couple of designs.

New for Christmas 2014 are Winter arrives by John Williams, our Association Chairman, and then two from Andy McAlea, one of our more recent recruits and a Team doctor. Andy’s two shots are entitled Reflecting on Brotherswater and Snow bound sheep.

All three cards are the smaller 160 by 110 mm size and they are all blank inside so that you can use them as Christmas cards but also at other times of the year.

Articles for RelayWe are always looking for interesting articles or letters from supporters. Please write c/o Patrick Relay Editor, Ogilvie House, Patterdale, Cumbria CA11 0PJThe Patterdale Mountain Rescue Association Ltd. is a registered charity No1063329 and is affiliated to the Mountain Rescue Council of England and Wales.

Three New Greeting Cards