This evening commencing at 19.00hrs, we welcomed to our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ some very special guests, friends and supporters to the team.

The occasion was to pass over Plaques of Thanks for wonderful support and Dedication Plaques to many who have helped the team.

All our guests were welcomed by our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE, Training Officer Alistair Greenough and assembled representative team members.

Garry gave all an overview of the teams activities, following which Plaques of Thanks and Dedications were presented.

All then enjoyed drinks and refreshments – with thanks to Team Support Group members Iain Clarkson and Gillian Gregory (our Team Secretary)

Over fifteen attending team members then showed our many guests our attending Team Vehicles and the search and rescue equipment carried thereon.

We would like to thank all our guests for understanding that their visit had to conclude by 21.00hrs for us to hold a Special general Meeting this same evening at our Base / HQ.

Our guest attending tonight were;

• Stephen Hazlitt, who received a Thankyou Plaque for supporting the team, in the presence of his wife Susan and daughter Fiona and Matthew Morris. (we understand Stephen is distantly related to the late Stewart Hulse MBE once of Langdale Ambleside MRT and Kendal Mountain search and Rescue Team)
• Paul Wightman, Vice President of Bolton Le Moors Rotary Club, who received a Thankyou Plaque on behalf of his fellow Bolton Le moors Rotarians for supporting the team.

• Dave Mark Graham, Gilbert Riley and Tony O’Hara of Darwen Rotary Club, who received a Thankyou Plaque on behalf of their fellow Darwen Rotarians for supporting the team.
• Phil Frain, who received a Thankyou Plaque for supporting the team after kindly renovating the two training manikins he made and donated to the team many years ago, and which now continue to give sterling service. (Phil went on to kindly announce at tonight’s meeting that he is to make and donate to us a third training manikin that we can use specifically for water search and rescue training activities – such fantastic support is amazing)

• Heather Wilcox–Buffey attended to see a Dedication Plaque unveiled that will be erected within our Base / HQ to honour the memory of her late mother Doreen Wilcox, a stalwart member of Bolton Ramblers. Heather attended with John Batley, Kathleen Carrodus and Tony Carrodus.

This was a great night both for us to say a thank you to some of our wonderful supporters, and for these same appreciated and valued friends of the team to gain a further insight in to our work within the local community.

We received apologies this same evening from our supportive friends at the Rotary Club of Turton and from very long standing friends of the team, wife and husband Deborah and John Garlick.

For both Turton Rotary Club and Deborah and John we are now going to make arrangements to get their Thankyou Plaques forwarded to them as soon as possible.