In the news

Three years after the devastating fire which destroyed the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team base in November 2017, the organisation is still occupying temporary accommodation provided by South Wales Fire & Rescue Service, having struggled to raise sufficient funds to build a new base.

Mountain Rescue volunteers have been using Merthyr fire station as their temporary base until they can secure funding to build a base that meets their needs. 

In addition to the fire Covid-19 has hit the team hard with steady demand, despite the restrictions, against a backdrop of reduced donations from the public. With 90 callouts so far this year, most of them since the original lockdown in March, the team has had to adapt its working practices both to protect the public and team members from Covid-19, all of which costs time and money.

The team is not centrally funded and, as a charity, relies heavily on donations from the public and fundraising events to generate the income it needs. 

Team leader, Penny Brockman, said: “Out of adversity we want to build a rescue base that will meet the needs of a modern mountain rescue team – a fit for purpose building to house the team for years to come and consolidate our 50 year history.

“The fire hit us hard but with help from our supporters and the work of our volunteers we will continued to provide this valuable emergency service.”

Penny added: “We’ve come a long way since the night of 25th November 2017, including winning The Welsh Charity Award for volunteer team of the year 2019, but we’re not over the finish line just yet”.