Welcome to Bolton Mountain Rescue Team

Bolton Mountain Rescue Team is a voluntary search and rescue charity and a member of Mountain Rescue England and Wales that represents 49 teams. Bolton MRT is made up entirely of volunteers who are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

We cover an area of over 800 square kilometres extending from Darwen in the West Pennine Moors to the north to beyond Manchester Airport in the south, and from Wigan to the west to the centre of Manchester in the east.

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Bolton Mountain Rescue Team

The chances are you will never need our services. However, since 1968, a great many have. Our callouts are diverse. For example, we help walkers, runners, bikers, climbers and even dogs that have found themselves in a precarious position. We also search for members of the public who are missing outside of urban areas, particularly those classed as vulnerable by the police.

It costs around £50,000 per year to run the team. Securing this amount of money each year is a constant challenge. We rely on the generosity of the public and other organisations who provide us with donations. Visit the donations page to learn more about how you can help raise money for the team.

Latest News

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The team wishes to express its condolences to the family and friends of team member Gillian Gregory, who sadly died last week after a long illness.

Gillian joined the team in November 2004 and has been a constant driving force within Bolton MRT for over 20 years. When she joined, she did so as one of the first members of our newly formed Support Group. It didn’t take us long to realise that we had recruited a highly driven workaholic.

Gillian’s time in the team started with her taking on the role of collecting box co-ordinator. In less than 18 months she had organised and expanded the number of collection box sites from around 20 to over 100, and the increased funds raised each year became a significant source of income for the team, meeting around 10% of our annual running costs. In recognition of this achievement, Gillian was the first member of the Support Group to be awarded the Howard Hill memorial tankard in March 2006.

Before long Gillian took on the role of head of the Support Group, and steadily grew the number of members who greatly assisted the team’s fundraising, maintenance, and catering efforts.

In September 2006 she was elected team Secretary and was appointed a Trustee of the charity. Whilst remaining a member of the Support Group and all that it entails, Gillian’s additional responsibilities led her to take minutes of meetings, organise visits and lectures, and distribute correspondence to other team officers. Gillian had a superb eye for detail and the role suited her perfectly. She kept on top of minutes, chasing team members down to complete actions and kept the team running quietly in the background. She held this essential voluntary role for 12 years, and never once dropped the ball.

Those who knew her knew that she had a wicked sense of humour, and was so positive with everything she did. If something wasn’t right she certainly wasn’t afraid to speak up. Personal things often came second, and she had an overwhelming urge to be doing things. In her own words, she “just wanted to be useful”, after her retirement from work. Outside of the team Gillian was involved supporting multiple cancer charities, as well as Scouting, and she also volunteered for roles at Deane Church.

Gillian was awarded her 20 years’ service to Mountain Rescue in November 2024.

It was so typical of Gillian’s personality and commitment to the team that she handed her final report in via email less than two days before she passed away.

She leaves behind her husband Hindle, son Peter, daughter-in-law Karen and grandson Zak.

Gillian’s funeral will be held at 1pm, Tuesday 3rd June, at Overdale Crematorium, Overdale Drive, Bolton BL1 5BU and afterwards at Deane Golf Club, Broadford Road, Bolton BL3 5NS. Gillian requested that everyone wear bright colours (specifically no blacks or purples!). ... See MoreSee Less

25 minutes ago
The team wishes to express its condolences to the family and friends of team member Gillian Gregory, who sadly died last week after a long illness.Gillian joined the team in November 2004 and has been a constant driving force within Bolton MRT for over 20 years. When she joined, she did so as one of the first members of our newly formed Support Group. It didn’t take us long to realise that we had recruited a highly driven workaholic.Gillian’s time in the team started with her taking on the role of collecting box co-ordinator. In less than 18 months she had organised and expanded the number of collection box sites from around 20 to over 100, and the increased funds raised each year became a significant source of income for the team, meeting around 10% of our annual running costs. In recognition of this achievement, Gillian was the first member of the Support Group to be awarded the Howard Hill memorial tankard in March 2006.Before long Gillian took on the role of head of the Support Group, and steadily grew the number of members who greatly assisted the team’s fundraising, maintenance, and catering efforts.In September 2006 she was elected team Secretary and was appointed a Trustee of the charity. Whilst remaining a member of the Support Group and all that it entails, Gillian’s additional responsibilities led her to take minutes of meetings, organise visits and lectures, and distribute correspondence to other team officers. Gillian had a superb eye for detail and the role suited her perfectly. She kept on top of minutes, chasing team members down to complete actions and kept the team running quietly in the background. She held this essential voluntary role for 12 years, and never once dropped the ball.Those who knew her knew that she had a wicked sense of humour, and was so positive with everything she did. If something wasn’t right she certainly wasn’t afraid to speak up. Personal things often came second, and she had an overwhelming urge to be doing things. In her own words, she “just wanted to be useful”, after her retirement from work. Outside of the team Gillian was involved supporting multiple cancer charities, as well as Scouting, and she also volunteered for roles at Deane Church.Gillian was awarded her 20 years’ service to Mountain Rescue in November 2024.It was so typical of Gillian’s personality and commitment to the team that she handed her final report in via email less than two days before she passed away.She leaves behind her husband Hindle, son Peter, daughter-in-law Karen and grandson Zak.Gillian’s funeral will be held at 1pm, Tuesday 3rd June, at Overdale Crematorium, Overdale Drive, Bolton BL1 5BU and afterwards at Deane Golf Club, Broadford Road, Bolton BL3 5NS. Gillian requested that everyone wear bright colours (specifically no blacks or purples!).

On Call 24 Hours

Search & Rescue

Event Safety Cover

In case of an emergency, DIAL 999, ask for ‘Police’ then ‘Mountain Rescue’

Give all your prepared details of the incident and ‘STAY WHERE YOU ARE’ until contacted by the rescue team.

If you have to make a further 999 call, follow this procedure in full again.