Mountain Rescue Teams across the Peak District preparing for the winter rush are backing a national call for exemption from VAT, which costs teams around £150,000 annually.
Bad weather conditions and less daylight hours make the winter months busy for Mountain Rescue Teams, which are composed entirely of volunteers.
Teams work alongside the Police to aid in public searches for missing people and in rescue operations. But they are not nationally funded and rely on donations and fundraising.
A VAT exemption, if granted, would prevent the government from charging tax on fuel and vital equipment for Mountain Rescue Teams. Some statutory funding already exists for teams in Scotland and Wales, but not currently in England.
Ken Blakeman, head of Kinder Mountain Rescue, based in Hayfield, said: “We have to pay VAT on rescue equipment, but the RNLI etcetera doesn’t.”
Ian Bunting, head of Edale Mountain Rescue, said: “The government could do more to help us.
“We’re working free of charge to help people and getting taxed for the privilege.
“VAT exemption would save a lot of money.”
The 18 volunteers at Edale and the 45 at Kinder include teachers, medics and construction workers. Each volunteer gives up one to two nights per week on top of call-outs.
Tom Levitt, MP for High Peak, supports the idea. He said: “We depend on mountain rescue and other volunteer rescue organisations more than we think, as was clearly shown in Cumbria in recent weeks.
“Whilst voluntary fundraising is part of the ethos of these organisations, and should remain the predominant source of funding, the state could show its appreciation and support of these organisations too, above the tax relief they get as charities.
“Abolishing VAT on their purchases of rescue equipment would be easy to administer; and it would be cost effective for the government.”
Rescue teams have also seen a rise in unprepared walkers over the last two years. Edale Mountain Rescue had 111 call-outs in 2008 and has had 78 so far this year.
“The number of searches increases this time of year”, said Ian Bunting. “A lot of people we see up there are unprepared: no map or compass. Even if they had they wouldn’t know how to use them.”
Ken Blakeman said: “People are going out ill-prepared. That has increased. They really shouldn’t be out without the knowledge.”
Teams across the Peak District are always keen to recruit more volunteers and fundraisers. For more information visit www.pdmro.org.uk.
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