The MRC Party Leader course, held over the weekend of 12^th – 14^th July, was well supported by the Team, sending three Team members as Instructors / Lecturers [Our Team Leader Garry Rhodes, Training Officer Ann Shaw & Mike Marsh, a previous Training Officer in the Team] Further support was provided by one of our Landrovers and minibus, plus two ’exercise casualties’. The venue was the excellent facilities at Rishworth School, Ripponden in the moorland of the South Pennines.
Instructors [10x] came from the MRC, Calder Valley SRT, Bolton MRT, Penrith MRT, Millom MRT and Llanberis MRT. Joining our two ’students’, were others from Central Beacons, Longtown, NE Wales & Llanberis teams in Wales. Cleveland & Scarborough form the North East, Buxton & Edale from the Peak District, Dartmoor & Avon and Somerset from the South West, Furness from the Lakes, Bolton & Calder from Mid Pennine and SE Ireland MRA from IMRA [30x in total]
An intense weekend of lectures, practicals & outdoor excercises was met with enthusiasm, combined with a glorious sunny ! weekend and superb catering. Special mention must be made of Peter Smith [ MRC Training sub-committee] for the organising and coordinating of the weekend and to Peter Howells [MRC & Central Beacons MRT: see our links pages] for securing considerable grant support for this course from the National Lottery Board.
[Mike & Ann have instructed on the previous Party Leaders course, held at Bangor N Wales in 2000, Mike has also assisted with the IMRA course last year. Whilst Mike, Ann & Garry have considerable experience of full assistance with MPSRO Party Leader course upon which the National course is based.]