For the mountain and cave rescue family in need

Welcome to the Rescue Benevolent Fund, an independent charity set up by mountain and cave rescue to support its volunteer team members. Mountain and cave rescue teams are on call 24/7, 365 days a year to help injured and lost walkers, climbers and cavers to safety — not to mention the odd kayaker, paraglider or flood-bound homeowner. They are regularly involved in the search for missing persons and their technical rope and water rescue skills have, on occasion, been put to good use attending to stranded animals and birds. They give up their time, putting their lives and families on hold to help those in need…

… but, if a team member sustains an injury during a call-out or training exercise, quite apart from any physical rehabilitation required, that injury might impact on his or her ability to earn. Their family might struggle financially and emotionally. And that’s where we come in.

Our aim is to help alleviate hardship suffered by team members and their families, which has arisen as a result of their involvement in mountain or cave rescue. And we always aim to get an operational team member back into action as soon as possible.

We can provide a range of services, including immediate financial support, physical rehabilitation (either residential or arranged locally with a recommended health practitioner), and emotional support through access to counselling services (online or locally).

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Mountain and cave incidents, by their nature, often occur in the most extreme environments…

and often in the most extreme weather conditions. But sometimes, all it takes is slippery grass on a sunny day. A simple trip. Team members can and do get injured during training and call-outs, sometimes whilst undertaking a routine support activity. They can suffer emotional stress too, perhaps accumulated over many months and years. 

How we can help…

If an accident happens, we know how quickly the bills can add up, how important it is to get timely rehabilitation for physical injuries and access to the appropriate talking therapies. We also know how emotionally draining this can be for team members and their families. But often it’s not a specific call-out that triggers the need for support — or maybe it’s a non-operational family member who needs support. Our aim is always to get a team member back on track as soon as possible. so , if you think we might be able to help, contact us for a chat. Head here to find out more.

Who’s who in the Rescue Benevolent Fund

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Neil Woodhead (Chairman)

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Shirley Priestley (Treasurer)

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Judy Whiteside (Secretary)

RBFBillWhitehouse

Bill Whitehouse

RBFNateShearman

Nate Shearman

RBFBrendanSloan

Brendan Sloan

But don't just take our word for it...

Our Partners

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