Craven Herald News
High Sheriff’s praise for Dales rescue team
1:40pm Sunday 19th February 2012
The High Sheriff of North Yorkshire, Alexandra Holford, has paid a visit to the Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Team at its headquarters in Grassington.
She toured the building, meeting team members and being shown the latest hi-tec rescue equipment, including the team’s new incident control vehicle, purchased after four years of fundraising.
Chairman Ian Hook, who led the tour, said: “The High Sheriff had sent a request to be taken abseilling, but with the wintry conditions we decided against this. We had also hoped to have an actual call-out during her visit and the adverse weather conditions made this very likely but it just didn’t happen. We did put on a good show for her and she said how fascinating it had been to meet the team and to hear about some of our rescues.”
After a full day with the team, which included a trip out in a rescue Land Rover, the High Sheriff said: “I have had a fabulous day learning about the Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association. They are a great team providing a terrific service to a wide range of individuals. Their work can be a relatively simple task of helping someone who has sprained an ankle walking in the Dales or a major long-duration operation involving perhaps 70 members to extract a seriously injured potholes who has life-threatening injuries and somehow has to be extricated from a dangerous and water-logged caving system.
“They are unpaid, raise every penny themselves and are totally dedicated to helping anyone in difficulties – a great public service that deserves all our support and particularly from those who use the magnificent outdoor facilities of North Yorkshire.”
The office of High Sheriff is an independent non-political royal appointment for a single year. Its origins date back 1,000 years to Saxon times when the “Shire Reeve’’ was responsible to the king for the maintenance of law and order within the shire or county and for the collection and return of taxes due the crown.
In modern times the High Sheriff gives an active and supportive role to the police and the emergency services, the prison and probation service and to voluntary organisations involved in crime reduction.
Mrs Holford lives near Easingwold.