We’re incredibly proud to sponsor and support Scarborough and Ryedale Mountain Rescue Team (SRMRT)

The work their volunteers undertake is invaluable and helps make Yorkshire a safe place to visit and enjoy.

Every year it takes a huge effort to ensure the team has the finances and facilities required to perform their duties, and whilst we part of that, there’s a lot more going on. SRMRT have shared with us a taster of what it takes.

Scarbrough and Ryedale Mountain Rescue Team (SRMRT) are one of two teams who provide voluntary search and rescue services across the North York Moors National Park. The other team being our sister team to the north, Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team. Our team objectives are: Relieve suffering and distress amongst persons affected by accidents or natural hazards on the North York Moors, or any other place if requested. Put another way, ‘Saving lives in wild and remote places’.

What does this really mean?

Based in Snainton on the southern edge of the National Park our area of responsibility stretches from Sandsend in the north diagonally across the moors to Helmsley. Our ‘patch’ is much larger than this though, stretching across to the A19, around the west of York, south as far as the M62 and then back to the coast at Hornsea via Howden and Beverley encompassing all of the Yorkshire Wolds. This area is one of the largest for any of the fifty plus Mountain and Cave Rescue teams in England and Wales.

As a charity and purely voluntary organisation which receives no direct funding then one of our key priorities is fundraising in the order of £35,000 per annum to keep the team operational. Sponsorship provided by Mark at Wayside is a significant donation however we still have considerable funds to raise by other means each year.

We have a well-established series of challenge walks where the public are invited to pay to take part in organised walks around the North York Moors. This year we have already held two with the third, The Saltergate Circuit Challenge, in the diary for the 4th of October. Last year we produced and sold copies of a team calendar and following the success of that venture we are close to publishing a similar offering for 2015. The calendar will include views of the area we operate in along with ‘action’ shots from a number of team activities. Next year being our 50th anniversary means that the calendar will be packed with dates of events to make this key milestone, details available on our web site soon.

Summer is a time for the country shows and we are planning presence at a number of these, so far we have a confirmed stand at the Driffield show on the 16th July and are actively investigating other such presences. Not only do these events provide face-time with the public and a fundraising opportunity, they also allow us to meet landowners to whom we are grateful for land access for our training and events.

Filey Lions are holding their annual Donkey Derby on Wednesday evening the 30th of July for which are providing medical cover in return for a donation. Organisations like the Lions are long-term supporters of the team and this activity helps to foster these relationships. We provide a similar service to both Filey and the Scarborough Lions for their community bonfires and firework displays each November.

Our team members are all busy with day jobs, team training, callouts and the running of the charity so it is always good when others raise monies for us. Two organisations which regularly run fund raising events for us are the Hardmoors Ultra Marathon runners who are holding the Hardmoor Princess event out of Ravenscar on the 30th of August and the North Yorkshire Mountain Bike Orienteers who are holding a Bike Marathon on the 21st of September. The team will be out at both events acknowledging this support.

We have a strong social media presence through our website, Facebook and Twitter which advertise ways to donate or support the team. We also go out and give talks to clubs, organisations and schools and while these are free many result in sponsorship and donations.

If you wish to find out more about the team or support us in any way then the best way to contact us is via our web site at www.srmrt.org.uk or by post at:

Scarborough and Ryedale Mountain Rescue Team
Units 1b and 1c Barkers Lane Industrial Estate
Snainton
Scarborough
North Yorkshire
YO13 9BG