Which organisation do you work for?
Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation

What sort of voluntary work do you do, and where?
We primarily do mountain rescue, but we also do river rescue and urban searches. There's always a danger because of the terrain we're working in, but we always minimise the risk and if it's too great, then we have to walk away. The most common call-out is walkers who've just tripped/stumbled and have lower limb injuries.

How did you get started?
I had a climbing accident with my partner and we called out a rescue team and that's how I first became involved. I'd always had an interest in mountaineering, but had no idea people needed rescuing until I needed it myself! I thought 'That's very handy, I'll see what they do' and I joined them.

How long have you been a volunteer?
Fourteen years, all in the Ogwen Valley.

How many hours do you give?
I'm the secretary, so I put in a lot of time. We train on one Sunday a month and rescues average out at about 60 a year. We're on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We all have pagers and we're called out by the police, who allocate the job to the nearest rescue team.

On top of the training and operational call-outs, a large amount of time is dedicated to the administration and running of the team. Finances, administration, equipment maintenance, organisation of training and fundraising by giving tours of the rescue base.

Are there any special skills you need to be a volunteer?
We don't' take anybody on who isn't a safe, competent mountaineer and can climb to a certain standard. Everyone's assessed after applying to join the team because you don't get any training in climbing skills.

If you're selected, you begin a 12-month training scheme in rescue skills, including first aid, special rope work, working with helicopters, searching, stretcher carrying and so on.

What are the best, and worst things about being a volunteer?
There's a great camaraderie amongst the team - everyone's really friendly. As a health care worker, the best thing for me is the satisfaction of helping someone in trouble.

I remember in particular one rescue when we had three casualties out on the mountain at night in a snow storm. There were at least 60 rescuers out that night.

One of the worst things is dealing with the relatives. They're always there, waiting for news and it's hard, even if the patient isn't seriously injured.

How can others get involved?
Write a letter to our rescue base - Bryn Poeth, Capel Curig, Betws-y-Coed, LL24 0EU, tel. 01690 720333 and we'll send an application pack. Remember you've got to have mountaineering experience before joining.

We are a registered charity and rely entirely on donations for funding. At the moment it costs approx £30,000 a year to run the Team even though the members are volunteers. This is due to the maintenance costs of extensive rescue equipment. We have a support organisation, Treble Three, who fundraise for the team.