Follow us on FacebookSWERA Day, Forest of Dean, 7th September 2024
Team members joined colleagues from a number of other search and rescue groups that are part of South West England Rescue Association for a training day in the Forest of Dean - see the training page for more.
Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service Open Day, 17th August 2024
We took our display along to the annual SFRS Open Day at Shrewsbury Fire Station where chldren and adults were encouraged to have a go at crawling through a tube, then seeing how 'low they could go' through the squeeze box (kindly loaned to us by Dudley Caving Club).
Once the children got the hang of what to do they were like 'energiser bunnies' repeatedly going through the tube and box, then running round for another go! The thought of winning stickers might have helped a little.
Thanks to Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service for inviting us and to everyone who kindly made donations during the day and chatted to us about cave rescue and underground places in the area.
ResCon 24, 7th to 9th June 2024
Over the weekend of 7th – 9th June the Briitsh Cave Rescue Council (BCRC) biennial rescue conference was held at Nenthead in Cumbria. Hosted by Cumbria Ore Mines Rescue Unit (COMRU) more than 100 delegates from 13 underground rescue teams, 3 Mountain Rescue Teams as well as HM Coastguard and the Police descended on the village. They attended a variety of talks, demonstrations and practical activities throughout the area both above and below ground.
A lot of work went into making the weekend a success. Including generous contributions by local businesses and organisations; Cubby Construction (who made a huge investment of time, money and resources both underground and on the surface), Alston Stone, Lyon Work and Rescue, plus Sellafield Ltd for volunteering their time to demonstrate two ‘Spot’ robot dogs and a LIDAR capable drone all made for an excellent experience for all the delegates. Not forgetting Cavendish Nuclear for providing sponsorship towards the event, Nenthead WI for feeding everyone, the Village Hall volunteers for running the bar and Nenthead mines for use of the site and their buildings.
More details and pictures from the weekend can be found on the BCRC website
AGM, 23rd May 2024
We held our AGM on Friday 23rd May when the new constitution was approved. A new officer post of Vice Chair was also created and Jonathan Wilkes appointed to the role.
Stores Social and Familiarisation, 16th February, 2024
An evening session was spent in the stores to help team members familiarise themselves with the layout and newer items of kit. Plus, test a range of cakes and biscuits.
Land Search Call-out, 5th February, 2024
On Monday 5th we were asked to support colleagues in SARA with a search in Gloucestershire. However, 90 minutes after receving the request and while team members were deploying the missing person was located by a Police search team and all volunteer team members were stood down.
Land Search Call-out, 19th January, 2024
On Friday 19th we were asked to support an ongoing missing person search in the Grear Barr area of Birmingham that had started on 11th January. MCRO members joined land crews from SARA Wyre Forest & SARA Upton who had been deployed to assist West Midlands Police. West Mercia Search and Rescue (WMSAR), Warwickshire Search and Rescue & Leicestershire Search and Rescue were also in attendance on the Friday.
Shortly after deploying into their initial search area, the mixed SARA and MCRO search team alongside a colleague from WMSAR successfully managed to locate the missing person, who was reunited with their family. Cheshire Search and Rescue and Staffordshire Search and Rescue had also been in attendance on previous days.
Winter Training Day, 14th January, 2024
Once again our first training session of 2024 took place in the excellent facilities at Arco Professional Safety Services training centre in Eccleshall. See the Training page for a little more detail.
Stiperstones Dawdle or Dash, 26th December
Once again team members were by the Devil's Chair on the top of Stiperstones (Shropshire) on Boxing day supporting the organisers of the Annual "Dawdle or Dash" race by 'stamping' the runners as they arrived at the half-way point and providing refreshments (courtesy of the Stiperstones Inn and Shop) to runners and dawdlers. After repairs to the route up Perkins Beach, following the flood damage a few months earlier it still only took the first entrants about 12 minutes to cover the distance from the Stiperstones Inn to the Devil's Chair!
Dog Rescue near Shelve, Shropshire, December 12, 2023
On an extremely wet, dark winter evening the team were called out to rescue a dog that had fallen down open mine workings. Six team members attended the incident. Due to the remoteness of the site a local farmer kindly ferried us and our kit across fields to the mine site on top of the hill. On arrival it turned out the dog was down a nearby stope and not the deep shaft we initially thought (luckily!). After checking the debris of fallen branches around the top of the stope a safe route was found where 2 ropes could be rigged using large trees for belays – we had taken the ground anchors but they weren’t needed.
Two team members descended (about 25m) and found that the dog was uninjured, very placid and walking in short tunnel. She was placed in our large dog harness and hauled to surface, with a team member climbing alongside to act as a jockey/barrow-boy to guide it.
The dog was cold and wet (as we all were!) but very happy when it saw it's owners.
Shropshire Fire & Rescue Open Day, September 2, 2023
Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service are celebrating their 75th Anniversary this year, so we were honoured to be invited, along with other groups, to have a display at the Open Day at Shrewsbury Fire Station. We took along a 'tube' and squeeze box (courtesy of Dudley Caving Club) to provide some interest for the children (and adults!). It was amazing how many times some of them went through the tube and squeeze box before running round for another go. Although collecting stickers for crawling through might have had something to do with it!
It must make an impression on them, just after we set-up a young girl ran up to the display, all excited as she remembered us from previous events and wanted to be the first through the tube this year.
Grand Auction, July 15, 2023
A massive THANKS to everyone who worked so hard to set up the Grand Auction and Sale at the Gloucester Cave Rescue Group Depot, and to those who donated, bid, bought, ate & drank on the day. It was a fantastic team fundraising effort!
See the Fundraising page for pictures of sone of the auction items.
BCRC AGM Weekend April 15-16, 2023
This weekend, members of MCRO joined representatives of cave rescue teams across the UK for a weekend of training, discussion, socialising and on the 16th the British Cave Rescue Council (BCRC) AGM in the beautiful Peak District at Buxton.
Sharing Knowledge, 5th March, 2023
It was all about sharing our knowledge this weekend. Our Chair & Training Co-ordinator provided an equipment inspection course to our team members and colleagues in the Severn Area Rescue Association at their Kidderminster depot.