Plaid Cymru Dwyfor Meirionnydd The Rt Hon. Liz Saville Roberts MP and Mabon ap Gwynfor MS

Plaid Cymru Member of Parliament for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, Liz Saville Roberts has become a member of a cross-party group of parliamentarians tasked with speaking up for volunteer rescue teams of which there are 6 in her constituency alone.  

Mrs Saville Roberts will become a member of the Volunteer Rescue All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) which has been set up to advocate on behalf of volunteer search and rescue teams across the UK as demand for their services increase.  

She will be joined by fellow Plaid Cymru MP for Ynys Môn, Llinos Medi.

Mrs Saville Roberts represents 6 of the 47 volunteer rescue teams operational in England and Wales, namely, Llanberis MRT, Aberglaslyn MRT, South Snowdonia Search & Rescue, Aberdyfi MRT, North Wales Cave Rescue and Northeast Wales MRT, with members of the Search and Rescue Dogs Association (SARDA) also based in her constituency.  

All the rescue teams operational in north Wales are experiencing a significant rise in callouts. Llanberis MRT is now the busiest in the UK with over 200 incidents a year, with most of the team’s work concentrated on Yr Wyddfa.

These services rely entirely on the generosity and time of volunteers. Their work involves; missing dementia searches, suicidal searches, stuck walkers and climbers, medical emergencies on mountains and caves, body recovery work, livestock rescues, flood response, fundraising to cover insurance, equipment, training, and utilities costs.  

Liz Saville Roberts MP said:      

The volunteer search and rescue teams based across my Dwyfor Meirionnydd constituency are an inspiration and incredible examples of public service, selflessly performing acts of heroism day in and day out in all kinds of weather. The work they do is vitally important, not just for local people who live in and enjoy the Gwynedd mountains and coast, but for the many thousands of visitors who come to our area to enjoy the spectacular landscape. They regularly risk their own safety in saving the lives of others who are beyond the reach of conventional medical assistance. I have had the privilege of meeting some of these exceptional volunteers and can attest to their commitment, knowledge and skills. It should be appreciated however that the demand on our volunteer rescue teams has never been greater. There has been a significant increase in the number of incidents requiring the services of our search and rescue teams and members tell me of a substantial rise in callouts. With the increase in callouts comes the pressure on resources. Volunteer rescue teams working across Gwynedd rely solely on the generosity and support of public donations. Yet they often lead on search and rescue operations, taking substantial pressure off statutory bodies such as North Wales Police. I am pleased to be joining this new APPG which will be an opportunity for those of us representing volunteer rescue teams to speak up on their behalf and lobby for the support they need and fully deserve.