December 2023
Please note, the date on the document is incorrect. These are Decembers minutes.
Novermber 2023
October 2023
February Committee Meeting
Minutes of Committee meeting
Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team
Tuesday 3rd February 2015, 7.30pm at Lowfold MRT base
Present
* Mark Bains (Chair), Nick Owen (TL) Roger Pickup (Treasurer, DTL), Nick Wright (Training, DTL),
Graham Lobb (Equipment), Jo Dyson, Andy Caple (Secretary DTL), Una Gordon,
Robert Collyer (Comms, vehicles), Alec McCarthy. Neil Bowness
Apologies
* Sarah Anderson
In attendance
* Johnny Graham
Minutes of last meeting (January 2014)
* Passed. Proposed: Alec. Seconded: Robert.
Matters arising
* Liz and Andy will meet on Friday 6th February to exchange secretarial documentation.
Particularly about AGM. Andy will then meet with Mark re: General arrangements.
ACTION: Andy, Mark and Liz.
* Robert to source laminator pouches and pass them on to Sarah to make the ID cards more resilient.
ACTION: Robert and Sarah.
* Neil was welcomed to his first meeting by chair
Correspondence
* None
Team members business
* Recruitment Update (Una).
There has been some response. Two interviewed and two more in the pipeline. See training.
* CC revision in MR.
Update 4500 printed over the last two years. Edition 5 distributed to Scotland (1080) and more MREW teams. List available from Andy if required.
Website. Explore the possibility through MREW of holding an electronic (PDF) copy on the MREW website. ACTION: Andy
* Hypothermia protocol. This is now on the MREW website.
* Training website. Better information management system and sustainability by creating our own website. Approx. £100 per year. Neil given the go-ahead to do this. This will be linked to the LAMRT site. ACTION: Neil
Chair
* ICO Registration: Information Commissioners office. Team needs to register to protect confidentiality of information so police can hand over sensitive information in the pursuance of completing MR work effectively. Small group to be set up (6), Mark to look up current regulations and then meet as a group to discuss. Group will consist of. Mark, Nick O, Roge, Nick W Robert and Andy as the main trustees that hold information.
ACTION: Mark then the remaining 5
* £400 donated to the team. Mark gave a talk about the team at a private birthday party held at High close (Langdale YHA)
Secretary
* AGM date 24th March. Andy to liaise with Mark and Liz. Graham to organise food. Burky to organise PowerPoint presentation. ACTION: Andy, Liz, Mark, Burky and Graham
Treasurer
* Investment subcommittee terms of reference: (Attached). ACTION: Mark to send to Andy.
* Co-option of additional subcommittee members: To be co-opted from outside whenever the expertise is not available within the team".
* Accounts attached.
* Volunteer to take on administration of Charity Choice website thank you letters. Alec has volunteered to do this. Roge to liaise with Alec. ACTION: Roge and Alec
* Mark and Roge need to talk to Saint & Co about the proposed designated funds before the AGM.
ACTION: Roge and Mark
Team Leader
* Cas care LAMRT policy to be held over to March or a near future meeting. We have enough information for the forthcoming MREW meeting. ACTION: Nick O attending
Clarification of the message that is given to new recruits:
New recruits will be required to have a current and relevant 1st aid certificate.
ACTION: Andy has changed article 1.4.1 in:
Rules and Procedures Approved in February 2008
Last amended and adopted in February 2015
* SAR-H PPE and other issues.
Goggles that are team issue are fine to be used under the aircraft
Robert has requested to replace existing ear plugs with more ergonomically designed ones when current stock runs out.
IMPORTANT NOTE TO ALL TEAM MEMBERS: Please make sure that you carry the issued protective glasses and earplugs as part of your standard hill going kit. If you do not have these for any reason then see Neil or Andy for protective glasses. Ear plugs are in a box on the bench in the inner hall outside the kit room/garage/radio room. If you find yourself without these on a job or whilst training then do not enter the downdraft area of any helicopter.
* On the same subject we have a duty of care to protect the casualty.
ACTION: Graham to put glasses and ear plugs in the helicopter strop bag on all stretchers.
* This month there was a table top exercise to test the resilience of the silver/gold tactical operational group. This went reasonably well with some areas identified for future development and refinement.
Personnel Issues
* None
Equipment
* AED locations. Mark to complete the synopsis and then the principle will be discussed at a future meeting. (Probably March). ACTION: Mark
Feedback from Sarah indicated that the National Trust would be willing to enter into partnership with us in the provision of suitable site/s.
* Mannequins. Proposal 1 accepted:
To provide the team with up to date mannequins and CPR monitoring equipment.
ACTION: Les and Neil
* Max D torches have now arrived for all team members. ACTION: Graham
* We will buy 2 x 200mtr lengths of ropes. These will be bagged separately from other crag rescue equipment and will only be taken on the hill if specifically required/requested.
Proposed: Nick O Seconded: Graham. ACTION: Graham
Communications
* Robert is continuing to roll out new comms equipment. Keep a look out in your email box for regular updates from Robert. Thanks to Robert’s son who has been very supportive to ‘dad’ through this process.
* Robert to go on a Simoco course sometime in the future. ACTION: Robert
Vehicles
* Progress on vehicle manager:
Robert to explore the possibility of a job share with a single point of contact.
ACTION: Robert
* All vehicles passed their PCV tests
* All vehicles should now make noise as all the electronics have been replaced
* Any knowledge of the dent in the bonnet or broken spotlight on Mobile 1?
* CARE OF EQUIPMENT, NOTE TO US ALL:
There have recently been one or two instances of equipment being lost, damaged or just left in the bottom of a damp rucksack after use; either in training or on rescues. Please take a little time and care in the use and restocking of all equipment to make sure that we (the team and you) are operationally ‘ready to go’ at any time.
Training
* Nick W has seen six team members that have, for a variety of reasons, been unable to fulfil the training or operational required numbers last year. People are the team’s most valuable resource and should be treated as such. These six people will for the time being be on the supplementary list. All this means is that their operational hill going kit will not be replaced. They are still important members of the team and in some cases are playing a very valuable if slightly changed role. They will all be placed back on the full team member list as soon as possible with our support and encouragement.
Gareth Sutton has decided to step down from the team. We wish him well and he will be very welcome to re-apply in the future should his situation change.
* Two new trainees been interviewed. One was not suitable and the second will apply again in the near future when fully fit.
* Two more applicants to be seen in the near future.
* Martin Kenyon to be a full team member as from tonight. We would like to welcome Martin back to the team. ACTION: Andy to notify.
* SWT course on the 27th-29th March. Anyone interested please express interest to Nick W.
Base issues
* Thanks to Pete for the work that he has done in refitting the lead flashing to the front of the building.
* Door closer/lock open device to be fitted to the kitchen door. ACTION: Neil and Nick O
Any other business
* Team breakfast in March agreed, Una to sort a date convenient to all.
ACTION: Una, Catherine and Caroline
Meeting closed at: 2150
Date of next meeting: Tuesday 3rd March 2015
January Committee Minutes
Minutes of Committee meeting
Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team
Tuesday 6th January 2015, 7.30pm at Lowfold MRT base
Present
* Mark Bains (Chair), Roger Pickup (Treasurer, DTL), Nick Wright (Training, DTL),
Graham Lobb (Equipment), Jo Dyson, Andy Caple (Secretary DTL), Una Gordon, Sarah Anderson,
Robert Collyer (Comms, DTL), Alec McCarthy.
Apologies
* Nick Owen (TL)
In attendance
* Johnny Graham
Congratulations were expressed to Johnny on being given an MBE in the New Year’s honours list.
Minutes of last meeting (December 2014)
* Passed. Proposed: Robert. Seconded: Jo.
Matters arising
* Liz and Andy will meet in the near future to exchange secretarial documentation.
Particularly about AGM. ACTION: Andy and Liz
Correspondence
* None
Team membership 2015
* Honorary membership list has been approved by the committee.
Team members business
* Recruitment (Una). Following receipt of an email enquiry discussed by email since the last
meeting, it was clarified that all applicants to join the Team should go
through the normal application process for hill going team members. We have no current plans to recruit team members in a non-operational capacity.
* ID cards (Andy). Sarah has taken on the responsibility of ID cards and will be starting to produce new ID cards for all full team members in the near future. (Starting with Jo please Sarah) ACTION: Sarah
Chair
* The investment policy has been sent to Charles Milner.
* Mark has been in touch with Dave Barrington and Olly Benson to explain how the recent policy statement regarding reactive rather than proactive fundraising affects current street collecting, merchandise sales and collecting boxes.
* The Committee reiterated its view that the policy does not detract from the importance of keeping our profile high. The days that Dave organises, especially outside Gaynors, are very important to team profile; other public collections are already organised in reaction to requests.
* The Committee also agreed that there are many very good reasons for having boxes including: local people wanting to help and therefore feeling some ownership and pride in the team; the
boxes are one of only two regular income streams that we have and it is crucial that the boxes and the whole collection structure is in place and maintained as a safeguard against larger donations drying up; and they give local businesses an easy way to show their support without requiring us to negotiate the more complex sponsorship proposals that we occasionally receive.
* Local procurement policy. This had been suggested at the last meeting, but on reflection it was felt that the Team’s size didn’t warrant one. It was agreed that a sentence in the minutes expressing the Committee’s commitment to using local suppliers when possible and without compromising the principle of getting best value would suffice.
Secretary
* It was agreed to co-opt Neil Bowness onto the committee until the AGM.
Proposed: Robert. Seconded: Jo. ACTION: Andy to inform Neil. ROBERT: to include Neil on the committee email stream.
* Nothing further to report on the vehicle manager role.
This position is vacant, any team member that feels they can help in this most important of roles should mention this to Andy or Robert. There is a good support network of people in place to reduce the work load of this job to a very manageable level.
Treasurer
* £100,000 transferred to Charles Milner to be invested in line with the team’s financial plan. This was money from a bond that had matured.
* It was noted that Roger had paid for the SARDA Christmas meal with a team cheque for reasons of expediency, and reimbursed the team the next day.
* New round of the boot allowance to start from January 2015. Maximum £220 allowance for a single purchase, receipt to be submitted to Roge any time within the next 3 years.
* House will be revalued in 2016. ACTION: Andy to organise in January 2016.
* Charles Milner sends a statement every 6 months re our share investments – Mark to write into draft terms of reference for the investment Committee.
Team Leader
* Board will be changed to include Johnny’s MBE. ACTION: Nick O
Personnel Issues
* None
Equipment
A proposal had been made that the team should look at the possibility of siting some additional AEDs at fell access points within its area, which could be got speedily to casualty sites by members of the public while team members were still en route. It was noted that issues of public liability and numerous practical questions would need to be resolved first. ACTION: Sarah to discuss informally with the Stickle Barn to assess feasibility.
Alec to look into the practical aspects of maintenance and servicing.
Positions suggested so far included at the head of the Langdale valley, within Little Langdale, the Kirkstone Inn, somewhere on the outskirts of Grasmere, Orrest Head / School Knott, and on the outside of Lowfold (this could be used for training as well as used in anger as it could be a combined training /operational unit). It was noted that first responder AEDs were already located in some of these areas
These locations have not been discussed in any detail, and thoughts and suggestions would be very welcome from all team members for discussion at the February meeting.
Communications
* Robert wishes to personally thank Steve for his help and support in the handing over of this role.
* Comms officer is a complex job and Robert will take this step by step. First thing to sort is the IT system within the base.
* Order placed with BT for the first batch of equipment this month. Purchase order needs to be raised for £5755
* Robert has the full committee support if he as comms officer has to gain urgent access to Claife without observing the official procedure of booking ahead.
Vehicles
* Checks taking place on all 4 vehicles next week. Robert will be asking team members to assist in the movement of vehicles. ACTION: Robert
Training
* Adam Cole has asked if he could restart his training as his situation has now changed/reverted to the norm. This was agreed, and welcomed, by the committee.
* More people are choosing not to do the cas care certificate. Full team members should be encouraged to obtain their cas care certificate as soon as possible in their first year in the team. This will be discussed in more depth at a future meeting.
* Thanks to Les and Neil for all the time that was given to Cas care training
Base issues
* None
Any other business
* Thanks to Graham for organising a superb Christmas do!
Meeting closed at: 2200
Date of next meeting: Tuesday 6th February 2015