Today, Team President, Bob Hutchinson, Training Officer, Elaine Gilliland and Trainee Team Member, Paul Copley, were invited by Mrs Birchall, Head Teacher to give a presentation to the pupils of Newton Westpark Primary School on what Bolton Mountain Rescue Team do.

Bob, Paul and Elaine travelled in our new team Land Rover MR Ambulance ’BM2’ to the Primary School in Leigh and were welcomed by Deputy Head Teacher Gill Leigh (A Bolton Mountain RescueTeam long-serving Team Member) into the main hall to give a presentation and demonstration to the 140 pupils in the school.

Each child listened quietly and patiently as Bob talked about what Bolton Mountain Rescue Team do, while Elaine and Paul demonstrated the clothing and equipment that we wear and take out when we are called for different incidents such as searches and rescues, with all the children asking lots of questions about the team. Mrs Leigh (Gill to the team), Bob, Elaine and Paul then demonstrated the different stretchers that the team carry including the new SAR Alpine Lite Mountain Rescue stretcher and the long board.

At the end of the demonstration the pupils, who had been collecting their pennies for the team, presented Elaine with a very generous donation of £137.11. This was a very unexpected and gratefully received donation. (The children had made boxes to collect pennies from family, friends and donate their own pocket money)

Whilst most pupils then went back to their classrooms, Bob and Deputy Head Teacher, Mrs Leigh, took the team Land Rover ’BM2,’ onto the playing field and the Year 6 pupils were able to look around the vehicle and spend some time with Bob, Elaine and Paul asking questions about the team and the work that we do.

It is a great pleasure for the team to be able to talk to children about the work the team is involved in and this proved very rewarding today as the children showed considerable interest and enthusiasm.

Bolton Mountain Rescue Team would like to thank Mrs Birchall and Mrs Leigh for inviting us to talk to the children about what we do and the whole team membership would like to thank the children for raising such a fantastic amount of money for the team.

After Bob, Elaine and Paul left the school, the pupils were asked to write a few lines on what they had seen during the presentation and demonstration. The winning entry is as follows:

Bethany Peers, aged 8 years

“On Wednesday 27th April Bolton Mountain Rescue Team came to Newton Westpark Primary School.

The Team came to show us what they do and put Emilie on the stretcher for a demonstration. Elaine showed us what she carried in her rucksack. then they put A ntony on the yellow long board and showed how they do the log roll.

We went to look at the land Rover, it has 5 seats and we all sat in the land Rover. Later Bob was talking to us on the grass.”