How we can help

Financial help

If an accident happens — we know how quickly the bills can add up. Be it unexpected expenses, the need for timely assessment and rehabilitation — mentally or physically — or a family left dealing with the consequences of tragedy, we’re here to help.

We can offer an immediate support grant, so the team member and their family aren’t left in financial limbo. And longer term support if needed. We’ve even supported funeral expenses for team members who have tragically died during a rescue incident.

Emotional help

Team members frequently deal with the results of traumatic injury, both above and below ground. Often those injuries can be fatal. Over the years, besides helping those injured in the hills and mountains, they’ve been called to rail and air crashes, and road traffic accidents. They’ve attended suicide victims and carried out body recoveries.

And, from time to time, they’ve been called out to deal with their own. As volunteers trained to the highest standards in casualty care, they deal with trauma and tragedy with professionalism and efficiency, but sometimes this exacts a toll. And emotional trauma is no less harrowing than physical injury. Perhaps more so.

We are happy to support emotional rehabilitation through counselling therapies where needed. These too might be residential, or arranged with a practitioner located close to the claimant. They can even be online, with dedicated mental health professionals skilled in this area of care.

Since July 2022, we have been proud to work with Togetherall, a clinically managed, mental health support service which is available online, 24/7, and completely anonymous. Through this, team members in England and Wales can access professionally registered mental health practitioners and senior clinicians around the clock in a safe, supportive environment. And, for those who register, there is a wealth of useful resources, including tailored self-help courses on topics such as anxiety, sleep, weight management and depression.

Physical help

When a team member sustains injury while attending a call-out, the result can be far-reaching.

For that team member it can mean time off work, maybe loss of earnings, loss of fitness. Maybe a niggling injury which never quite resolves itself. For their family, it likely brings the frustration of an injured partner keen to be back on the hill! And for the team, it’s one less person on the call-out list.

So we aim to get team members to the physical rehab they need, as soon as we can. Timely application to the fund, and the ability to focus on treatment and recovery, might also save the pain and frustration of those weeks, months — or even years — with that niggling injury.

Our agreement with the Fire Fighters’ Charity allows us access to physical assessment, physiotherapy, lifestyle advice and exercise facilities. We are also happy to negotiate with local health practitioners if this is more convenient. (We do, however, have it on good authority that the residential rehab is worth due consideration!)