THE daughter of a former Kendal Mountain Rescue Team member who had a lifelong passion for the outdoors has donated a generous sum to the Gazette's Readers to the Rescue campaign.

Born in Rochdale, in his formative years Eric Barrington began to visit the Lake District as often as he could.

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Following service in the war, including more than three years as a prisoner of war, it was in 1959 that he was given the opportunity to move to Kendal in order to start up a building society as the manager.

It was 'early on' that he chose to join the mountain rescue team.

"He was always an outdoors sort of person," Diana Barrington, Eric's daughter, told the Gazette. "He wanted to put something back. He had time in his youth when he had been climbing and caving around Mallam and always coming up to the Lakes as often as he could and thoroughly enjoying the outdoors."

Ms Barrington, who still lives in Kendal, recalls being woken up in the early hours of the morning by calls for her dad to attend an incident on the fells.

"I used to go and put the kettle on and then go back to bed and my mother would make the flask of coffee and the sandwiches and send him on his way," she said.

"It was always when the wind was howling and the rain was lashing down. Yes, it was a worry. He was involved in a couple of rescues where they found the bodies.

"But the weather would never have stopped him from going out to enjoy the Lakes so he thought if I can do it for me I can do it for other people. So I think that's what he really enjoyed doing - putting something back into society."

After he retired, aged 60, Eric stopped going out on rescues and took on the role of treasurer for the club. During the late nineties, the Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association recognised his efforts as part of a 'Distinguished Service List'.

Mr Barrington continued playing golf well until his eighties, did his 100th Munro at 85 and drove until he was 93. He passed away in 2012 and a memorial collection for the team was held at his funeral.

Ms Barrington, aged 70 and a walker herself, said that her father had instilled in her a 'respect' for the mountains.

"I've done a lot of walking in Europe," she said. "And there aren't many places where they have the mountain rescue type of people, certainly not voluntary.

"He left something in his will for the team and now I'm in a position where I'd like to do something that would make him smile."

If you have been helped by Kendal Mountain Rescue Team and would like to share your story, please contact Sara Royle on 01539 790260 or email sara.royle@nqnw.co.uk

To donate, fill in the coupon in our picture gallery and return with a cheque made payable to 'Readers to the Rescue'