Mountain Rescue England and Wales

Our task is to raise money to support the work of the national body and the rescue teams aross England and Wales. As registered charities, staffed entirely by volunteers, we (and the individual teams) rely on the support and generosity of the public to survive.

It costs a tremendous amount to fund a mountain rescue team. It's always good to know how your fundraising adds up, not just in financial terms, but in practical terms for mountain rescue. Leaving aside the maintenance of a team base – a major expense in itself – and the running and maintenance of the team vehicles, let's start with some of the bigger items, some of which are provided centrally from the national pot.

• Team vehicle – £35,000
• Full rescue harness – £70
• Rope – £80
• One set of rescue hardware – £250
• Comprehensive First Aid Kit – £300
• One set of personal protective equipment – £500
• Stretcher – £2,500

These are just the initial purchase costs. Many of these items also have to be maintained! Given that a typical team is made up of 30-40 people – that's approximately 3,500 across England and Wales – that most teams now have a minimum of two vehicles, some four or five, two or three stretchers, medical sacks, and so forth, then multiply up the costs! The result is a very large figure.

How much would it cost to fully kit out an individual team member?

Tough question! Teams are currently responsible for kitting themselves out but, in an ideal world, we'd be able to kit each team member out from central funds. Unfortunately, this is not an ideal world but it's a useful exercise., and might aid your fundraising efforts!

Most team members wear and carry a combination of essentials supplied by their team, supplemented by their own gear. Bear in mind that each time a team member sets foot on an incident, they must be prepared to be out there for many hours, often in dreadful conditions. So, let's start from the outside and work inwards. Obviously personal choice means we sport a variety of boots, accessories (and undergarments!) on the hill so, for the purposes of this exercise, we've chosen the sort of gear the average team member might turn out in.

• Outer layer: Waterproof Jacket £225 + Windproof Smock £50 + Waterproof Trousers £100 = £375.
• Next layer: Mountain Pull On £49.50 + at least one item of spare clothing £50 = £99.50.
• Base layer: Long Johns £22.50 +  T shirt £22.50 + Briefs £13.50 (plus, let's say, M&S Sports Bra for the ladies £20) = £78.50.
• Footwear: Three Season Walking Boot £130 + All Terrain Walking Socks £25 + Gaiters £25 = £180.
• Headgear: Beanie Hat £20 + Neck Warmer £20 + Head Torch £55 + Helmet £40 = £135.
• Hands: Technical Gloves £40 + Inners £15 + Hand Torch £39.95 = £94.95.
• Accessories: 40L Rucksack: £50 + OS Maps £27 + A-Z Maps £20 + Compass £25 + Personal First Aid Kit £25 + Notepad and Pen £2.50 + Two Man Bothy Shelter £25 = £174.50.
• Comms Equipment: Radio £500 + Pager £72 (£6 per month) = £572.
• Grand Total: (and counting) £1,709.45...