MAY I, through your paper, offer the thanks of the Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team (Okehampton) to the people of Okehampton and the surrounding area for their generosity during Saturday December 17 when we held our street collection in the town. We collected the very substantial sum of £930, which will provide a useful contribution to the annual costs of running the team. This annual event has always attracted generous support from local people who contribute to our funds, so helping us to maintain an effective rescue service throughout the year, but this year is a record. Although we are a Dartmoor team by name and history, being part of the Dartmoor Rescue Group which started in 1968, we now respond to calls from the police to incidents anywhere in the South West. All our members are volunteers giving freely of their time, not only for rescues, but also for training exercises every Tuesday evening throughout the year. Members are expected to provide all their own personal kit, but it costs the team quite a large sum to buy and maintain all the many items of equipment, vehicles, insurance and premises needed to operate an effective Search and Rescue service for the community. All this money comes from donations and fundraising ? there is no public funding. It?s not just walkers lost on Dartmoor these days, but missing children, elderly people missing from their home and vulnerable people such as despondents who are missing and thought to be at risk. Calls can be at any time of day or night, right through the year. Anyone who would like to support our activities, or maybe join the team, can contact me at the address below or on 01837 861333. John Whiting Chairman DSRT (Okehampton) Bratton Rectory Road Bridestowe EX20 4ER
