WHEN local mountain rescuers put a plea out for help, Abergavenny Rotary Club came to their rescue.

Longtown Mountain Rescue Team needed to raise more than £70,000 for a new control vehicle which is used on call outs to injured and lost people.

Rotarians came to the rescue by donating an amazing £20,000 towards the cost of the state of the art vehicle.

And on Tuesday 24th the team took it to the Rotary Club’s HQ at the Monmouthshire Golf Club, for its members to see.

The Rotary Club is the sole shareholder in the town’s Steam Rally and is responsible for distributing the majority of profit from the rally to worthwhile good causes and projects in the town.

Normally the proceeds are distributed to a number of different causes and charities. But in 2017 the decision was taken to make a big impact by donating the vast majority of the cash to one cause - Longtown Mountain Rescue’s control vehicle.

Community Committee chairman, Rtn Don Cecil, said: “The Steam Rally has become our number one fund-raising activity.

“We have distributed a lot of money to a vast number of good causes and organisations in the town in the past. For the first time we decided to make a big impact with one project which would make a huge difference to one organisation in the town.

“We looked at Longtown Mountain Rescue and liked what we saw. Our contribution will help a worthwhile local organisation and will undoubtedly save lives.”

The control vehicle – call sign 700 - is the team’s mobile operations room from where it runs its rescue operations.

Luke Lewis, Longtown MRT team leader, said: “Our old vehicle was well past its use by date and we desperately needed a new one.

“The new control vehicle is equipped with the latest satellite technology which allows us to receive information in the remotest locations – in some situations we can use it to pinpoint the exact location of missing walkers.

“The team is almost totally reliant on public donations and raising the extra money for the new vehicle was an extra mountain to climb for us.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Abergavenny Rotary Club for such a generous donation. Without the control vehicle we cannot operate and it really can mean the difference between life and death.”