Mountain rescue volunteer husband and wife team recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours List. Congratulations to Becky and Iain Ashcroft, who have both been awarded an MBE for their services to the community as mountain rescue volunteers. The couple met as volunteers for North East Wales Search and Rescue (NEWSAR), when Iain interviewed Becky for the role – “I got the impression she didn’t like me!” Iain says of their first meeting. Mountain rescue volunteering has been a huge part of their lives, and their wedding day saw them conveyed from Mold Registry Office to the reception just outside Ruthin in a mountain rescue liveried vehicle. Between them, Becky and Iain have over 60 years of volunteering across all terrains, in all weathers, at all times of the day and night. While they will often respond to a call out together, they have different strengths and skills, and may find themselves heading in different directions dealing with different call outs, or different elements of the same call out. Neither Becky nor Iain had any inkling they had been nominated for the award. Becky says, “I was at home by myself on the day the letter arrived, and when I opened it, I simply could not believe my eyes! I cried and then I was stunned for a long time. I still find myself reeling at the unexpectedness of it all. I saw Iain had a similar letter, but I did not tell him about mine until he came home and opened his. I could see his reaction was similar – disbelief, shock, and emotion.” As well as deeply surprised at being awarded an MBE, both Becky and Iain are honoured and humbled at being put forward. Iain says, “We feel very honoured and immensely proud that someone has recognised the contributions we have made to mountain rescue over the years and has taken the time to submit a nomination. The fact that both of us have been recognised at the same time is amazing.” “We are also delighted that the work that North East Wales Search and Rescue does is recognised. We could not do what we do alone – there is a huge and committed team of volunteers behind and alongside us – and we know that our award is also a reflection of their dedication and professionalism.” Becky and Iain’s advice to anyone thinking of volunteering for mountain rescue is simple – if you have the necessary skills and time, then go for it! Becky says, “The time commitment is really important – training and call outs make up the bulk of this, but there is also equipment to maintain and other duties such as supporting fundraising work as mountain rescue is funded by donations. You also need the support of your family – call outs do bite into family time – and often your employer too. All of this needs to be balanced. Most of our volunteers have full time jobs in addition to the hours they spend volunteering.” “However, the rewards for that commitment are many – you will get to meet and work with some great people, face and overcome challenges, and do some real good helping others.” Iain estimates that during his 27 years as a volunteer for mountain rescue, he has undertaken close to 1000 call outs. While each can be challenging to different degrees in its own way, he says, “It’s also important to remember that we don’t just help people off mountains – we also assist in searches for vulnerable or missing people, as well as deploying to bad weather events. A particularly challenging time I recall were the heavy snows in 2013, which saw 24 callouts in 48 hours with teams working around the clock as ambulances were unable to move due to the deep snow. It fell to mountain rescue volunteers to reach many people stranded and in need. It was cold, exhausting, but immensely satisfying to be able to contribute our skills to keeping people safe.” As well as being a responder for NEWSAR, which covers Flintshire, Denbighshire, Wrexham, and parts of Conwy and Powys, Iain is involved in supporting mountain rescue across the North Wales region and was appointed Operations Officer for North Wales Mountain Rescue Association (NWMRA) in 2016. During his tenure he introduced a Major Incident Plan and assisted North Wales Police in establishing a Land Search and Rescue Group which brings together various blue light and voluntary agencies. Last year he was elected as Co-Chair of the group and continues to work closely with police and partners. Iain also supports mountain rescue nationally - he is part of the national operations group for Mountain Rescue England and Wales (MREW). Both Becky and Iain say one of the hardest things about being nominated was not being able to tell anyone straight away – particularly family, friends and colleagues. Thankfully, that moment has passed, and both have been overwhelmed by the pride, support, and congratulations they have received as the news spread. Commenting on behalf of NEWSAR, Team Leader Chris Griffiths, said: “We are absolutely delighted to hear about Becky and Iain’s well-deserved recognition in the King’s Birthday Honours. While they may have been surprised, their teammates are not — their kindness, dedication, professionalism, and wealth of experience in mountain rescue have been evident to their colleagues for many years. They have dedicated countless hours to training, attending call outs, fund-raising, and fulfilling many other mountain rescue duties over the years. It is wonderful to see their hard work acknowledged in this way. We are incredibly proud of them and the positive impact they make in our community. We look forward to celebrating this special honour with them soon.” Chair of NWMRA, Andy Harbach, said: “Mountain rescue volunteers balance careers and family life commitments to help people, lost, alone and sometimes despondent and get them back from some of the most challenging terrain and through often extreme weather conditions to their loved ones. To do this, they must not only volunteer their time to respond to a call out anywhere at anytime, but also commit to a rigorous and regular training schedule to maintain their skills. This often means that while most people are relaxing at home in the warm after a long shift at work, mountain rescue volunteers are putting on their boots and heading out for a training session. “As we continue to see an upward trend in the number of callouts, the demands on mountain rescue volunteers continues to increase, and the requirement to balance work, career, and volunteering becomes more complex. To do this you need commitment, resilience, and a strong sense of purpose. “Becky and Iain have over 60 years of demonstrating this commitment to helping others, and the recognition of their services is well deserved. The difference they have made cannot be measured. Their colleagues across North Wales are hugely proud of them, and they embody the very best of the spirit of volunteering. Well done both of you!” (fb)

Fundraiser completes 190 mile trek for Mountain Rescue Stephen Russell followed the Offa’s Dyke path, commencing his journey on Tuesday 20 May by walking from Chepstow to Monmouth. Stephen then walked every day, without a break, averaging 17 miles / 27 km a day, before completing his fund raising walk on Friday 30 May, walking from Bodfari to Prestatyn on the final leg. Full details of his route can be found on his Just Giving page. Waiting to meet and thank him were Lucy Morris and Mike Jones of North East Wales Search and Rescue (NEWSAR). Lucy, Fund Raising Officer for NEWSAR said, “People often do not realise that mountain rescue is comprised entirely of unpaid volunteers who give up their own time to train rigorously, and be available to respond to anyone who needs us. As a charity, we rely on donations to supply and maintain the specialist equipment to enable us to do this. That is why the time and commitment Stephen has dedicated to raising money to support our work is so welcome, and we wanted to ensure that we were at the finishing post to say Thank You in person for all he has done.” Stephen is a seasoned supporter of mountain rescue, and his walk along the Offa’s Dyke path is the fourth fundraiser he has undertaken in as many years. Stephen set himself a target of raising £1049 on his walk through Wales, which would have brought his combined total fundraising for Mountain Rescue England and Wales (MREW) across three of his walks to £3,500. However, supporters were inspired by his travels through North Wales, and gave generously, which resulted in a total of £2,205 being raised following his Offa’s Dyke walk – doubling his target amount. Speaking on his Just Giving site to those who donated to support his efforts, Stephen said, “Mountain rescue teams are on call every day, of every month, of every year. Whatever the time, day or night. Whatever the weather. They do it voluntarily. They do it without question. At no cost to the casualty. And it's thanks to your generosity they can continue saving lives. So thank you.” Mountain rescue has seen demands on its volunteers steadily increase, as more and more people enjoy the benefits of being outdoors, with North Wales having some of the busiest areas in the UK. For the first time, in 2024, mountain rescue services in England and Wales responded to at least one call out every day. After meeting with Stephen, and following his 190 mile trek, Lucy and Mike waved him off at the local train station to make his way home. Twenty minutes later, they were responding to a call out. https://www.justgiving.com/page/stephen-russell-offas-dyke (fb)