Today with thanks to a substantial donation from the ASDA Foundation “Supporting Your Local Community”, the team officially accepted into service the latest items of team Issue personal equipment, namely fifty pairs of Keela Munro Black Salopettes (complete with High Visibility safety stripes, team badge and ASDA sponsorship logo) and fifty pairs of Keela 5000 Rainlife (Over) Trousers (complete with high visibility safety stripes, team badge and ASDA sponsorship logo).

Both waterproof clothing items complement our already comprehensive team issue personal equipment, and further enhance the image of the team, whilst protecting our team members from inclement weather.

The team also officially accepted into service four complete sets of full personal safety clothing for our water SAR team members use, also funded by the ASDA Foundation “Supporting your Local Community”.

In early December 2010, we reported that our Team Life Vice President Tony McNally has been in contact with the Astley Bridge, Bolton store of ASDA for a number of months regarding any developments from a meeting between Tony and Christine Baldwin, Community Life Champion, ASDA, Astley Bridge, Bolton, on Thursday 5th August 2010 (see website ’news’ item dated the same) when Christine kindly offered to investigate what support the ASDA store could give to Bolton MRT via the ASDA Foundation Sponsorship Programme.

On Friday 3rd December 2010 Tony was informed that the Astley Bridge, ASDA store had secured support for Bolton Mountain Rescue Team, through the ASDA Foundation Sponsorship Programme, furthermore the support gained was in the form of an absolutely fantastic £10,000.00 donation for team clothing to replace some older team clothing, enhance other areas of team clothing and to provide some completely new items of clothing to the team.

On 10th December 2010, our Team Life Vice President Tony McNally and the team’s Honorary Secretary (and stalwart Support Group member) Gillian Gregory, welcomed to our Ladybridge Hall Base/HQ, Paul Wilcox, Store Manager and Christine Baldwin, Store Community Life Champion, who then kindly handed over a fantastic cheque for the wonderful amount of £10,000.00.

Today at the Astley Bridge, Bolton, ASDA store, all the clothing items were officially handed over to the team, on the same day that the store’s ’Tickled Pink’ special promotion events were being held.

For fifteen years now, ASDA have been supporting the “Tickled Pink” events, centred around Cancer and Health awareness.

The team displayed alongside various groups associated with the “Tickled Pink” day, including Bolton PCT, Rite Weight, Get Active, a local Pharmacist providing free health care advice and Chemo Mums.

An in store raffle for the “Tickled Pink” cause drew considerable support from shoppers, with a charity balloon race another major crowd puller and fundraiser for “Tickled Pink”.

The Bolton MRT has donated a “Day Out With The Team” as one of the raffle prizes, and the lucky recipient will get a full hands-on insight into the work of the team.

A guest visitor to the day’s proceedings, and one who talked at length with the team members present, was valued friend and supporter of the team (and Mountain Rescue nationally) David Crausby MP for Bolton North West.

In total fourteen team Call Out list members attended this official handover event today, including Life Vice President Tony McNally, Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE, Training Officer Elaine Gilliland (who alongside our Equipment Officer Nick Berry, liaised with suppliers and arranged the orders for all the items covered by this wonderful £10,000.00 donation) and Ged Clarke, dressed fully in Water SAR kit (highly appropriate given the steady rainfall during this event!)

We also had two of our new Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulances on display alongside our 3.5m semi-rigid SAR Boat.

The Bolton Mountain Rescue Team would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank the Astley Bridge, Bolton, ASDA store and the ASDA Foundation Sponsorship Programme for its very kind tremendous support of Bolton MRT.

Our “staged” publicity pictures are sometimes tricky affairs when taken in busy public areas, as the lady pictured wandered into shot!
Pictures Courtesy Of www.kre8photographic.co.uk

We would also like to especially thank Christine Baldwin, Community Life Champion, and Paul Wilcox, Store Manager, both of ASDA Astley Bridge, for their personal involvement in gaining this huge donation for the Bolton MRT. The ASDA Astley Bridge is also a regular store collection point for the team, thanks to the support of the store management in allowing the team to collect at this venue.

(Please also see website ’news’ article dated 10th December 2010 and 7th September 2011)