The New Rescue Centre Now Open and operational

CENTRE WINS TWO AWARDS

Civic Trust Awards 2001

Patterdale Mountain Rescue Centre wins prestigious Civic Trust Award for the Lake District National Park.

The team’s architect Mr. Laurie Caygill, of Elaine Rigby Architects in Appleby, and Dr. John Ellerton, a past chairman of Patterdale Mountain Rescue Association Ltd, received news of the Award at the Civic Trust’s award ceremony in London on Thursday 22nd March.

The Rescue Centre was one of only 27 buildings that reached the demanding standards set by the Civic Trust and the only project receiving an award in a National Park.

The Trust commented that although appropriately solid and utilitarian, (the Rescue Centre) is lifted out of the ordinary by the care with which it has been designed and built and its sensitivity to its context. This national recognition reflects all the hard work of those involved in the project, which was completed in August 1999.

Dave Freeborn, the Team Leader, is thrilled with the award. He confirms that not only does the building meet the Award’s criteria, it has vastly improved the operational capability of the team and provides an ideal venue for training and promoting the work of Mountain Rescue to a wider public audience.

The Northern Architectural Association
Hadrian Awards 2001

The Patterdale Mountain Rescue Centre was again reconised for its outstanding architectural design in the presentation of a Hadrian Award. The Hadrian Awards are presented every two years and are run by the Royal institute of British Architects on behalf of the Northern Architectural Asociation.

The presetation of a brass etched entrance plate and a certificate to the Architect Laurie Caygill was made at Sunderland National Glass centre which coincided with national Architecture week.

The centre is open to the public at Bank Holiday weekends.

 

 

  • The new Rescue Centre You are welcome to visit the new Rescue Centre to see the facilities, view the new building, look at the rescue equipment and meet some of the team members on Bank Holiday weekends and at other times when we hold open days.

 


Sir Christian Bonington CBE

" It does not matter how experienced or careful you are, one tiny mistake and you can find that you need rescuing and your life is in the hands of the rescue team. In order to maintain their superb level of efficiency Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team need larger premises. I was very honoured to be asked to become a Patron of the Team's New Headquarters Appeal, and am delighted to give the venture my full support."

 

The Team operated from a converted barn provided by the Patterdale Hotel. This was adapted to changing needs over the years, but due to limited facilities had restricted the development of the Team and the service it offered

The new centre is now built and open and has cost in the region of £345,000. It is sited in the heart of Patterdale, has facilities to provide the highest standard of on-site medical care, a dedicated quiet area for friends or family of the casualty, a control room with the latest communications technology, security for vehicles and equipment, an indoor training area and facilities to educate school groups and the general public in the ways of mountain rescue.

The principal problems that forced us to build a new headquarters are shown below -

  • No area for keeping the casualty at Base whilst awaiting the County ambulance.
  • No clinical treatment area to render first aid before transfer to the ambulance.
  • Outside transfer to the ambulance with the possibility of worsening the condition of the casualty.
  • Lack of a 'quiet area', away from the control room, for relatives/accompanying persons to wait whilst the rescue is in progress.
  • No private area for re-uniting the casualty with the relatives/accompanying persons.
  • Poor conditions for the communication, office and medical equipment; temperature and humidity control lacking.
  • No mice-free storage for the climbing ropes!
  • Security concerns during rescues and when the base is closed.
  • Lack of covered storage for the rescue boat, with worries about its vulnerability to theft and quicker deterioration.
  • No possibility of room for a third vehicle at base.
  • Lack of adequate indoor training facilities; both a lecture room and a rope training area would be an asset.
  • Lack of indoor maintenance workshop.
  • There is no room to expand at the old base.

    The new rescue centre, which is now built has solved all of these problems. Our grateful thanks to all who made this project possble. The new Rescue Cenre was treated as a one-off capital project and has been funded without recourse to the operational revenue of the Team