Insulation boost will help Arrochar Mountain Rescue Team

A mountain rescue team’s vehicles will have a warmer base, thanks to insulation funded by an energy firm.

The Arrochar Mountain Rescue Team uses three vehicles which are kept in the garage attached to the base in the village which was built in 2002.

After mechanics identified condensation and corrosion as the cause of the vehicles’ increasingly frequent and expensive mechanical and electrical problems, heating was installed at the garage last year to reduce their maintenance costs and improve their reliability.

But it was then realised that roof insulation was necessary to lower the cost of the heating.

Now the E.ON Energising Communities Fund has paid for £1,774 worth of insulation to be fitted at the rescue post.

Mountain rescue team secretary Douglas Philp, applied for the funding to cover the full cost of the insulation, said: “As a charity, we’re totally dependent on donations, grants and volunteers.

“Fundraising can be a real challenge for the team, particularly as it comes on top of our primary function of providing a mountain rescue service.

“We felt we had no choice but to heat the garage, to better look after our vehicles which are an essential factor in enabling us to meet our commitment to be available at any hour and on any day to help those lost or injured in our hills and mountains.

“We expect the insulation to reduce our heating costs, which will allow more money to be spent on essential equipment and training for our volunteers.”

Suzanne Roe, E.ON’s corporate responsibility and community relations manager, said: “It’s heartening to hear about the Arrochar Mountain Rescue Team, providing a vital service in Strathclyde just through the efforts of its volunteers and donated funds.

“They’d already researched the insulation best suited to their needs when they approached us for support though our Energising Communities Fund and we were delighted to be able to cover the full cost for them.

“E.ON’s Energising Communities Fund was launched back in 2013, since when over 100 community groups and charities in Scotland, England and Wales have had a share of the more than £185,000 we’ve given away.”