New Chairman appointed for the charity behind Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team

Mr Sanderson has been a Trustee of PMRA for five years and will take over from Jacquie Freeborn, who has been involved with the Team since 1985 as Base Controller and fundraising organiser. Ms Freeborn has been the Chair of Trustees for the past five years.

Mr Sanderson was raised in Ambleside and Grasmere and, after 30 years of military service and an eight-year career in business consultancy, he returned to the Lake District in 2013 and now lives near Glenridding.

As well as sitting as a magistrate, he is Chairman of Cumbria’s Scout Association and Army Benevolent Fund, a Trustee of the Armitt Museum and Library, a Patron of the Lakeland Arts Trust and a Co-opted Member of Cumbria Community Foundation’s Main Grants Panel. He was awarded an OBE in 2015.

“Retirement isn’t proving to be particularly restful,” he said “But I’m enjoying giving time and effort to a range of organisations that make so much difference to life in Cumbria and the Lake District. PMRA has a great committee of Trustees as well as an able and committed operational Team, and I’m looking forward to working with all of them to take the Team and voluntary rescue into a secure, but no doubt challenging future.”

Ms Freeborn will carry on her involvement in the Team as the Base Controller during incidents as well as being a Trustee and Vice Chair of PMRA.  Also elected as new Trustees at the AGM on Thursday May 2 were Mike Blakey (retiring Team Leader), Chris Lewis (currently a probationer with the Team) and Ann Childs who is also involved as a fundraising volunteer.

“We’re very lucky to have so many people willing to support mountain rescue in Patterdale in all sorts of ways,” said Jacquie Freeborn. “I hope that the improvements and developments that have been made during my time as Chair will see the Team in a good place for many years to come and wish Chris and the new Trustees all the very best.”