Today we are extremely pleased to publicly announce a major donation to our team, the largest ever received by us in the entire teams history, and directly linked to donations in the same amount to two of our colleague Mountain Rescue Teams, all by the same body.
For over a year now senior team members, principally our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE, our Deputy Team Leader Geoff Seddon, Chairman Ken Oakes, President Bob Hutchinson and Vice President Tony McNally have been in regular meetings with members of the Executive Committee of the East Lancashire Mark Benevolent Fund Limited, principally John Crawford, Treasurer of the Executive Committee of the East Lancashire Mark Benevolent Fund Limited.
The East Lancashire Mark Benevolent Fund Limited is the Masonic Charity of the East Lancashire Mark Freemasons, representing some 96 Masonic Lodges.
The reasons for the meetings have been to discuss with the team how the East Lancashire Mark Benevolent Fund Limited could be used to help and assist the team in celebration of the 2010 Centenary Year of the East Lancashire Mark Freemasons.
Within the team the meetings were held on a regular and confidential basis, and soon after the first meeting ideas revolved around help towards purchasing a new team Land Rover Ambulance.
With each meeting between the Executive Committee members of the ELMBF Ltd and the team, including a great deal of telephone conversations, the amount of the donation increased steadily in value as we reported our plans to the Executive Committee.
At an early stage we realised that the value of the donation being discussed would be major in nature and would enable us to actively consider the replacement of our existing vehicle fleet, the donation effectively substantially ’kick starting’ our plans in this direction.
We can now reveal this evening the total amount that has been donated to us by the East Lancashire Mark Benevolent Fund Limited, it is an absolutely amazing and very substantial £40,000.00 (Forty Thousand Pounds).
This will be utilised in full to purchase one brand new Land Rover Mountain Rescue latest specification Ambulance Vehicle, with this vehicle being dedicated to the East Lancashire Mark Benevolent Fund Limited.
The kindness of the Executive Committee of the ELMBF Ltd following their meetings with the Bolton Mountain Rescue Team and their growing awareness through our meetings of the needs and plans of neighbouring teams, plus how we all work together within the wider local community, directly led to the ELMBF Ltd firstly approaching the Oldham MRT early this year, closely followed by a similar approach to Rossendale and Pendle MRT, resulting in an offer to support both Oldham MRT and Rossendale & Pendle MRT in the same manner as their support to us, again in direct celebration of the 2010 Centenary Year of the East Lancashire Mark Freemasons.
We can also publicly announce today (With their permission) the fantastic donation of £40,000.00 each to Oldham MRT and Rossendale & Pendle MRT by ELMBF Ltd, and as in our teams case, each team will use these substantial donations to purchase new vehicles. (In Oldham MRTs case the donation will enable them combined like us with other financial assets, to purchase two brand new Land Rover Mountain Rescue latest specification Ambulance vehicles, with RPMRT still considering the vehicle type they wish to purchase).
The overall donation of £40,000.00 to all three MRTs including ours, making a total donation of £120,000.00 to mountain rescue, represents what we believe to be one of the largest single donations to Mountain Rescue in England and Wales of recent years, and is certainly the largest single donation ever made to MRTs operating in the Greater Manchester and surrounding areas.
The generosity and kindness of the East Lancashire Mark Benevolent Fund Limited has enabled ourselves, OMRT and RPMRT to immediately put in hand plans to obtain new vehicle fleets in varying degrees (combined with the existing financial assets of each team) which will keep all three teams to the forefront of modern mountain rescue operations, by purchasing and operating the very latest generation of mountain rescue vehicles.
To say our team membership is very pleased at this huge donation is a undestatement, we all all over the moon with such generous and major support, (As are the members of OMRT and RPMRT).
The team would like to express its sincere and heartfelt thanks to the East Lancashire Mark Benevolent Fund Limited and their Executive Committee, particularly their Treasurer John Crawford, for their very much appreciated support of the Bolton Mountain Rescue Team.
Obviously as matters progress with the purchase of our new Land Rover (Linked to other vehicle purchase plans, see our website article dated Sunday 13th June 2010) we will continue to report such through the medium of our website.
The team is very honoured to be receiving the continuing support of our friends at the East Lancashire Mark Benevolent Fund Limited, and in turn we will be present with our team vehicles and a search and rescue equipment demonstration , as per 2008 and 2009, at the East Lancashire Mark Fellowship Day at Middleton Masonic Club, Manchester Old Road, Middleton, M24 4DY on Sunday 29th August 2010, from 12.00 noon onwards.
Please also see website ’news’ articles linked to this donation, dated Wednesday 6th February and Sunday 24th August 2008, Thursday 20th August, Sunday 30th August and Wednesday 2nd December 2009.
