Posts Tagged ‘Mountain Rescue’
One team member’s story of injury and recovery
Every day’s a school day! You never think it could happen to you until it does! Having spent thirty years in the mountains and never getting so much as a scratch, the idea that he could injure himself whilst out training with the team never crossed his mind… From the archive: Mountain Rescue Magazine Issue…
Read MoreLooking after our team members
It’s a day most team members say they dread — and would walk over hot coals to avoid — but when the chips are down, who better to treat you and carry you to safety than your own trusted mountain rescue colleagues? From the archive: Mountain Rescue England and Wales Annual Review 2026. May 2025…
Read MoreUnderstanding what we mean by ‘trauma’
Trauma is defined as ‘an emotional and psychological response to deeply distressing or life-threatening events that overwhelm an individual’s ability to cope’ (Mind, 2026). As a concept, it feels as if it has fully entered the consciousness of the mainstream and terms like ‘trauma dumping’, ‘generational trauma’ and ‘vicarious trauma’ can be found across social…
Read MoreAre we all just kind of lonely?
How to manage feelings of loneliness and isolation… It can feel odd talking about loneliness when it’s easier for us to connect with others now than at any other time in history. However, the means of connecting have changed, and some of the most popular options are designed to encourage comparison to others. From the…
Read MoreGuiding Principles for Wellbeing from both UKSAR and ICAR
UKSAR and ICAR have both produced guidance for teams and team members in looking after the wellbeing of their team members. These two articles summarise the full documents. From the archives: Mountain Rescue Magazine Issue 93, July 2025. Five Guiding Principles for Emergency Response Volunteer Wellbeing In 2023, the UKSAR Mental Health and Wellbeing Work…
Read MoreHeart Rate Variability: what it is and how we can influence it
Alan Littlefield was one of our keynote speakers at the conference in September. He spoke about building trusting teams and introduced the concept of positively affecting our HRV by deploying the BREATHE skill, to improve both our individual and our team performance. The breathing bit, it has to be said, inspired a degree of scepticism…
Read MoreIntroducing our new application process…
We’ve simplified our application process so it’s easier to ask for help when you need it… From the archive: Mountain Rescue Magazine Issue 91, January 2025. Chairman Neil Woodhead explains how we’ve responded to feedback from our mountain and cave rescue membership to make it easier to apply for benevolence or to find support to…
Read MoreHow Togetherall is supporting team members
One of our very own trustees talks about how our collaboration with the online mental health resource Togetherall has helped her through a difficult time. From the archive: Mountain Rescue Magazine Issue 90, Autumn 2024. This year’s biennial MREW Conference, at Lancaster University, was a fantastic opportunity to promote the work of the Rescue Benevolent…
Read MoreVolunteering with mountain rescue saved my life
Izzy de Santis and her partner, David Bartles-Smith were members of the Teesdale & Weardale team. They share how much strength and support Izzy took from her involvement in mountain rescue and the Mind Blue Light Programme. From the archive: Mountain Rescue Magazine Summer issue 65, July 2018: Izzy de Santis This is my story.…
Read MoreWe can’t promise to make you bionic but we’ll do our best…
In 2018, an intriguing email landed, from Miller Harris of the Lochaber team, representing Mountain Rescue Support Scotland Ltd… From the archive: Mountain Rescue Magazine Winter Issue 67, January 2019: Judy Whiteside. This newly-formed company is a benevolent fund, set up by the four independent mountain rescue teams in Scotland, and mountain rescue teams in…
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