Earlier this year, our Team Leader, Garry Rhodes MBE, was contacted by Jack Wharton, Secretary of Kearsley Park Veterans Bowling Club. They wished to adopt Bolton Mountain Rescue Team as their chosen charity for the year, and would present the total raised to us at the end of the bowling season when their President’s Trophy Competition semi-final and finals were held on 27th September 2012.
The date was changed at the last minute to one week earlier on 20th September because of maintenance issues with the bowling green. Whilst this presented a bit of a dilemma for the team with a prior engagement to attend the North West Ambulance Service’s Open Day at the same time, a solution was found and three team members – Dave Marsh with trainee Drowned Victim Search Dog Sasha, new member of the team, Nigel Booth, and Team Secretary, Gillian Gregory, set off in one of our Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulances, intending to arrive at the bowling club around 3:50pm as the competition was drawing to a close. Fate decreed otherwise, however, for a road traffic accident on the M61 just before Exit 3 for Kearsley delayed the three members. They arrived (some would say deliberately!) just as the bowling club members were sitting down for their celebratory hotpot meal in the clubhouse, and were invited to join in the meal.
Following a hearty hotpot and apple pie, Dave Marsh told the assembled members a little about the work of Bolton Mountain Rescue Team, before President/Chair of the Bowling Club, Edith Wadley, and Secretary, Jack Wharton, presented Dave with the astonishing cheque for £700. Edith explained that all the members contributed prizes during the year, and at each competition a raffle was held, which had resulted in this wonderful total.
Edith & Jack presenting the cheque to Dave, Sasha & Nigel
Dave, Nigel and Gillian would like to thank Kearsley Park Veterans Bowling Club for their warm hospitality and all members of Bolton Mountain Rescue Team pass on their sincere thanks for the members’ generosity in raising this large sum to support our work.
