Today saw the fourth and last of our four part operational membership recruitment intake 2016 sessions taking place, since we opened for recruitment late last year.
From 32 persons who had completed an initial on line application form, twenty four had confirmed they would be attending our induction / first evening on Thursday 28th January 2016, and of the 24 expected 21 actually turned up.
By Friday 29th January, three of the twenty one had decided not to currently proceed with their intentions to join the team.
Come Saturday morning, 30th January for the second session, we were therefore expecting seventeen applicants to turn up at our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ for the 09.00hrs start (for the mathematically inclined in our readership – yes you are right it should have been 18x, but one couldn’t attend, and given previous experience in the team was allowed to miss today by special arrangement)
Thirteen actually turned up on Saturday 30th January 2016, with fourteen expected for the third session on Wednesday 3rd February.
With one more potential applicant not turning up, and apologies from another due to a work commitment, twelve applicants actually attended our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ at 19.00hrs on the evening of Wednesday 3rd February for their third session.
Today, with just a grid reference and a time to meet, as their only clue as to what was going on, ten of the applicants arrived at the Lower House car park, Rivington, in very rainy conditions, to be greeted by team members Michael Wakerley, Mike Marsh, Heath Doran, Equipment Officer – Base and Catering Paul Copley and Neil Haigh.
Split in to five groups of two applicants and one operational team member, all then embarked on a moorland navigation and hill skills exercise, lasting all afternoon, from the Lower House area, over to Pike Stones on Anglezarke and back again.
Two other applicants had already undertaken this session, with one other scheduled to complete it soon.
The various tests and application forms undertaken by our thirteen remaining applicants will now be assessed and reviewed, together with the comments on their performance, attitude and outlook, so far noticed on the four sessions they have attended, by the rest of our team membership who have come in to their contact.
From this review and assessment, we will then invite those successful applicants to the start of eight Wednesday evening Probationary Training Sessions, commencing on Wednesday 17th February, following which further assessments and tests will be undertaken to then invite those suitable to commence their twelve month long Basic Training Period with us, including attending our fully residential ‘Foundation Course in Mountain Rescue’ weekend, already booked for Friday to Sunday, 7th to 9th October 2016.
