It’s 1.30am on a freezing January morning and your pager’s just woken you from a deep sleep in your snug, warm bed. You grab your kit and head to base. Then, in complete darkness with strong winds and torrential rain, you set out as part of a team to search and rescue a stranded walker who is lost somewhere on the mountains. After 3 hours of searching you find them cold and wet with an injured ankle. You reassure your casualty, keep them warm, radio for more first aid equipment, treat them and get them off as soon as possible… and it’s still dark, cold and wet. You get home at 06.30 in time for a quick shower and breakfast before setting out for work.
This is a typical callout. No glamour, no fancy equipment and usually no helicopters: just the team doing what it does best, locating and treating the lost and injured.
Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team is a voluntary organisation funded through the hard work of team members and its supporters. The Mountain Rescue service is a 999 service under the control of the Police. At present, the team has over forty members coming from a variety of backgrounds. All give their time freely to assist people in need.
The team welcomes everyone between the ages of 18 -70 with the abilities and talents to take part in search and mountain rescue work. You do not need any formal qualifications to join the team.
Being part of Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team is a major commitment. Your commitment isn't only measured in the time spent involved in rescues. There is also training to perform the job. As well as this, each team member has a role to play in fundraising to ensure that the team remains operational.
Without the commitment and enthusiasm of our volunteers Central Beacons simply would not be able to provide their valuable community service saving lives in South Wales.
What’s in it for you?
We can offer you one of the most rewarding, exciting and fulfilling voluntary jobs available, as well as the opportunity to be part of a highly motivated team of people who train and work together to perform vital services to the community.
The Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team provides first class training, guidance and support. For you it’s an opportunity to have the satisfaction of providing a professional service that saves lives.
There are three types of membership. We also have Basic Criteria for all our membership categories:-
Membership of Central Beacons MRT is not something to be considered lightly; despite our being unpaid volunteers, the police and public expect a professional standard of service. We are held in high regard and maintaining this reputation depends on the full commitment of its members.
Joining the team will cost you time and money; you will suffer inconvenience, get wet, cold, tired and find yourself in potentially dangerous situations. Your safety and that of others will depend on your personal skills and your ability to work as part of a team.
Why not read the profiles of a few of our current team members to give you an idea of the people you could be working with?
Come and visit us
All prospective members can have the opportunity to attend a Thursday night to have:
- a tour of the Rescue Centre and presentation on the work of the Team
- an opportunity to meet Team members