March was a notable month for Buxton Mountain Rescue Team as it held its Fiftieth Annual General Meeting at the Robin Hood public house in Buxton.

Fifty years on, the modern team would be hardly recognisable by those founding fathers in 1964.  In the early days the team ran on a shoe string budget on less than £100 per year, begging, borrowing or otherwise acquiring most of its basic equipment.  Now the team needs to raise £30,000 to maintain its operational service with special fundraising appeals when major items need replacing.  The standards of training and equipment and its operational skills match any of the 63 teams in England and Wales.  However, there are some things that will never change; the service will always be available to anyone in distress in remote parts of the Peakland area, free of charge at the point of need, and that the service will always be provided by volunteers giving up their own time. 

The forty-five members attending the Annual General Meeting heard that the charity was in good health with reports from each of the trustees relating to their individual areas of responsibility in either charity administration or operational response.  Sincere thanks were offered to everyone who has supported the team in any way during the last twelve months.  A special thanks was offered to team member, Ian Harris, for his black magic skills in the provision of information technology.

The meeting saw two changes in the charity’s principal trustees.  Team Chairperson, Roger Bennett and Vice Chair, Eric Needham  both retired from their posts.   In a closing speech, Roger Bennett said, “It’s time for fresh blood to lead the team and make way for new ideas and refreshed enthusiasm.  The modern service is a great testament to the dedication of so many people over so many years.  The future will have its challenges, not least in funding and the proliferation of legislation. It has been a privilege to be Chairman and I know the team remains in very experienced and safe hands with its new Chair and Vice Chairpersons.

Taking the reins is Vice Chairperson, Dr Mat Stagg.  Mat is an anaesthetist in a major trauma centre.  He joined the team in December 2010 and has specialist interests in pre hospital and trauma medicine.  Mat has already made a major impact on the development of a team’s analgesic policy and is an active member of the medical advisory group.  He has been the lead examiner for the team’s casualty care exam for three years.  Matt said, “I hope to build upon an already professional team and move it forward, working closely with other agencies to deal with the challenges that a modern MR Team faces.

New Chairperson of the Charity is Richard Doran.  Richard joined Buxton Mountain Rescue Team in 1982 and has previously been a Trustee of the Team and Secretary for three years.  He is currently the Countryside Manager for Cheshire East Council.  Richard said, “I’m very proud to be the Chairman of Buxton Mountain Rescue Team and I aim to ensure that the Team continues to provide the rescue services so often required when accidents or mishaps occur in the beautiful countryside we have in the Peak District.”

Both Roger and Eric retire as trustees but remain enthusiastic operational members.