Join the Team

Mountain Rescue in the U.K. is primarily provided by highly trained unpaid volunteers. We operate primarily throughout the northern area of The North York Moors National Park and surrounding areas. The Team can be called to work in other areas when requested by the Police or other Mountain Rescue Teams.

Applications can be made to join the team in a support role (Operational Support) or as a hill going (Search and Rescue) member.  Operational Support applications can be to the Team  at any time by application to the Team Secretary   contact the team secretary by email   The following details explain the process to join as a Search and Rescue member. 

Prospective members will need to be fit and healthy enough, to undertake physical tasks in all weather conditions. We expect all applicants to be competent hill walkers/climbers or mountaineers, usually with at least four to five years of quality hill experience and also having the equipment and skills to look after themselves outdoors in all weathers.

You must also be willing to work in a team, live in our operational area and be prepared to commit a very significant amount of your time.

Application for membership is welcome from volunteers of both sexes who must be over 18. The Team has a standard application pack which can be obtained from the team via the e-mail link at the end of this page.

Applications are invited at the beginning of spring each year, if we are recruiting. Interested parties will then be invited to an open evening in early summer to meet members of the team and find out more about what membership involves. 

Those candidates who wish to pursue their application are then invited to complete a daytime navigation and hill craft assessment, this lasts for a duration of 2-3 hours. Assessments are usually held during July and August.

During this assessment you should be able to prove to us that you have the ability to move competently over rough upland terrain, navigate using a map and compass to any given location and arrive in reasonable time and reasonable condition.

If a candidate passes the navigation test, they are invited to attend training sessions as prospective members for a period of around 10 weeks.  They are also required at this point to submit to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check organised by the Team.

At the end of this initial training period the application is considered by the committee before progression to probationary status.

Members must complete at least 12 months as a probationer and are subject to continuous assessment during this time.  They must also at some point during this period complete a night time navigation assessment.  Successful completion of the probationary period leads to full team membership and a place on the callout list as a Search and Rescue Team Member.

In addition to acquiring technical search and rescue skills, a prospective member must realise that they will be joining a dedicated team of volunteers, where team-work is not simply an addition to the normal workload, but is an integral part of the role.

Working in a volunteer Mountain Rescue Team is highly rewarding.

For further details and to apply contact the team secretary by email