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.
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 £60,000 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
At 15:34 on Friday 31st July, we received a message from the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) requesting our assistance. A 69 year old female had fallen on a woodland track running alongside the River Croal near Little Lever, Bolton. She had sustained a very painful lower leg injury. Bolton MRT members worked alongside an NWAS crew to stabilise the casualty. Strong pain relief was provided, and the woman's injured limb was splinted. She was then stretchered to an NWAS ambulance, which was parked 650m away on Prestolee Road by the River Irwell. We send our best wishes for a full recovery to the casualty.
Trafford Ramblers contacted us to request some guidance about incident prevention and management whilst out walking, and what actually happens when mountain rescue are called out. After chatting it was decided to invite the group to visit our base to discuss the work we do, and learn about some of the call-outs we have attended.
It was a very hot Wednesday afternoon when we welcomed the group to our Chorley New Road base. They brought along some extra guests they had invited from groups at East Cheshire, Stockport, and Bolton.
Initially, the group were given a talk by assistant team leader Andy about safety, and how a call to 999 was the way to obtain the team’s help. This was followed by a talk from Diane about the work of the team. Remarkably, only three of the group of 24 had heard of Bolton Mountain Rescue, and all were surprised to discover that Bolton MRT’s operational area includes Trafford. Diane described some examples of incidents the team had dealt with in the Trafford area.
There followed discussions with Diane, Andy, and two trainee members: Gareth and Ben, and a tour of our BM5 emergency response vehicle. The group made a generous donation to the team at the meeting, and we also received some wonderful private individual donations. With gift aid added, over £1000 was donated to Bolton MRT - a fantastic amount. A massive thank you to all our visitors, and to Katharine, the group’s Chair, who arranged the visit.
If you are involved with a group, and would like a talk either at our base, or at your own meeting place, you can contact us at speaker@boltonmrt.org.uk
Back in December 2025, Bolton MRT opened recruitment for our operational team. More than 120 people registered to attend our information events. From there, 28 people were invited to our assessment weekend, where we selected 14 individuals to become probationers within the operational team.
After three months of hard work and commitment, the remaining 13 have now progressed to trainee operational team members. In recognition of this achievement, they have each been presented with their trainee T-shirt.
To reach this stage, they have completed weekly training covering first aid, stretcher carrying, radio communications, basic life support, and search skills. They have also demonstrated their commitment by attending fundraising events, as well as team equipment, base, and vehicle maintenance days, all of which are essential to the running of the team and are expected of every team member.
The trainees’ next milestone is their six-month assessment. We wish them every success as they continue through their 12 months of training towards becoming operational team members with Bolton Mountain Rescue Team.
Please note that we will not be recruiting for the operational team again until the current trainees have settled into their roles, which is expected to be no earlier than mid-2027. When we next recruit, we will advertise the opportunity through our social media channels.
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.