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Hebrides Mountain Rescue team secure £180,000 funding for new Stornoway HQ

HebMRT have secured £180,000 to finance the creation of a new headquarters in Stornoway.

A mountain rescue team has hit its fundraising target to create a new-purpose built base.

Hebrides Mountain Rescue Team (HebMRT) launched a campaign to build a new headquarters in Stornoway earlier this year, revealing their existing rented base does not have adequate running water and heating. 

Now, thanks to a huge outpouring of support from the community and local agencies, they have raised the £180,000 required and work on the project can start soon.

Team leader Charlie Greenwood said: “I am extremely proud of the team’s efforts over the last 18 months, it hasn’t been easy, but we are delighted to announce that we have achieved our fundraising target.

“Throughout this time we have been astonished by the generosity of so many people and organisations. With their help we are now able to start building the Hebrides Mountain Rescue Team base.

Extra training will keep walkers safe

“The new base will provide a space that will facilitate additional indoor training as well as providing a specific equipment storage and drying area. This will help the team develop and ultimately improve the service that we provide to the local community and its visitors. We are very excited and grateful to be able to take this next step.”

Treasurer Robert Sinclair said they have been overwhelmed by the public’s support in helping to make their vision a reality.

Team leader Charlie Greenwood said the new purpose built base will help them improve their services across the region.

“The team have been blown away by the kindness of the many people, companies and grant making bodies that have supported this venture,” he added.

“When we started fundraising in 2020, the world was a very different place and we found that many of the grant applications that we were submitting were being rejected because they didn’t fit in with the Covid related criteria the vast majority of them were looking for.

“It was disheartening, and it was a lot of hard work, but we are a resilient team, and we just kept on sending grant applications in and organising our own events (raffle, Crowdfunder, team members doing sponsored events) and we have finally got there.”

Additional facilities will include interior vehicle storage, climbing wall and rigging training area, toilet, shower and kitchen space. The building will allow the team to be better equipped in responding to incidents and will ultimately help save lives.

Supporters included number of agencies

The venture has been financed by a number of contributions from various organisations.

Grants worth more than £10,000 were received from organisations including Crown Estates funding, Stornoway Trust, the Hugh Fraser Foundation, Horshader Community Development, The Robertson Trust as well as an anonymous donation of £15,000 which came through Scottish Mountain Rescue.

The latest grants which the team were awarded provided the finishing touches on their fundraising efforts. These came from The People’s Postcode Trust, a grant giving charity funded entirely by players of People’s Postcode Lottery who awarded the team £20,000.

The team also recently received a grant from Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Resilient Communities Fund for £38,000.

Craig Mullen, community investment manager at SSEN said: “We are delighted to confirm that your application has been successful. Due to the exceptional nature of your work and fundraising efforts, the panel would like to offer you the £38,000 balance required to reach your target.”