Retirement of Team member Jonathan Holt

Today experienced team call out list member Jonathan Holt stood down from the team due to family commitments.

Jonathan joined the team in April 1997, when his interest in becoming a member was sparked off by the fact that Garry Rhodes our Team Leader was Jonathans next door neighbour at the time !

Jonathan as a team member was a very fit and active hillwalker and climber, with skills in technical rope rescue which led him to be a valued member of our structures rescue unit. Jonathan was also a well respected and experienced Party Leader alongside his role as one of our Emergency Response drivers.

For a good few years now Jonathan has been a serving Team Council member in the role of our Equipment Officer with responsibilities for our stretchers and comprehensive rope rescue equipment, his tenure in office allowing him to develop our technical rope rescue kit.

His skills outside of the team as an Engineer and all round handyman were constantly utilised by the team, coming together when Jonathan ’volunteered’ to construct the internal layout (and a lot of the external work as well) on our new Control Trailer which to Jonathans ultimate credit came into service in August 2005.

Jonathan was also well known in the team for his mountain biking escapades and as a very fit road pedal cyclist. (When the team was based at Overdale, after one training night he challenged our Team Leader Garry Rhodes – his next door neighbour at the time, that he could pedal cycle to his Tyldesley home from Overdale, Bolton, complete with his rucksac on his back, using shortcuts, faster than Garry could get home in his car. No challenge thought Garry, but he didn’t reckon on a super fit Jonathan getting home first by a good few minutes !)

Jonathans wife Stephanie followed him by joining the team a little over a year after he joined, in August 1998, but due to family commitments and her job as a Nurse, stood down from the team in February this year.

As a long standing husband and wife couple within the team, they both attended many team activities whilst balancing the needs of their young family, and will both be missed within the team for the fantastic contribution they made as active Call Out list members and friends to all.