4x4 response groups uk

[richardshall]

I was looking into the 4x4 response after i seen it mentioned in a post on here.
I looked at the application form and it says that you have to pay £15 to join to offer support to the group.
Just wondered what everyone thought about having to pay or if it is normal for these types of groups.
The link for the site is http://www.4x4response.info/?pid=groupregister

[Drift]

I think it covers the cost of courses, administration and public liability insurance.

[richardshall]

[Drift]

Yer sadly I dont think councils or central government are interested in them until they are needed.

[richardshall]

no big shock there then, i bet they would be the first ones to phone them though if they got stuck

[FUDDY MUCKER]

Having a good friend who runs Norths Staffs Lowland Rescue, I too was suprised at the costs involved in running something like this.

For instance, one thing no one ever thinks about is a CRB Check (Criminal Records Bureux), which as you may be dealing with vunerable adults or children under 16, you are required by law to have an upto date CRB check, each one costing in excess of £50 each, which most organisations foot though there donations, membership or admin fees.

Also, the insurance is very expensive, along with things like complusory First Aid Courses, often done by St Johns Ambulance, who indeed charge very high prices for the services.

[richardshall]

[FUDDY MUCKER]

Local Councils, PAY !!!! unfortunately not.

Not just the councils they deal with, but the police, ambulance, even local doctors and vets.

Norths Staffs Lowland Rescue charges £35 to join or £1 per week membership.

[Drift]

Its the same as the Mountain Rescue, all charitable
Saying that not sure if the 4x4 response network is a charity? can anyone confirm?

[richardshall]

not sure if its a charity, its all volunteers who help out though

[richardshall]

[Drift]

Would have made sense for me to look really cheers Rich

[richardshall]

[Frenchfarmer]

If you need a mechanic it is £45 per hour.
Police "people" (since 9/11 and 7/7 ) wearing £10,000 worth of safety/protection gear.
Fire Brigades realising, after they have ordered and paid for their new £400,000 engines, that they are too big to go round corners.
Yet when it comes down to the real stuff they need help from guys with £500 Fronteras and want them to pay for permission to help.
Next time they ask just say "Yes one of your highly trained drivers can drive my Frontera if you need it. That will be £500 per day and you will need to lodge a £15,000 damage guarantee with my bank."
That's how the "Security/Safety/Rescue" businesss works.
But then we're not like that.
Round here, by the time the official road clearers have done their safety checks etc. the farmers have already cleared the roads as they have swivel buckets on their tractors to scoop feed for the cattle so a bit of snow is just an inconvenience.
There's 14yr olds, French and British, out at 5am in £45,000 tractors doing a couple of hours work before they have breakfast then go to school!
Cows need to be milked, hay needs to get from A to B and the farmers are tooled up for it.
Who makes your food?

[Drift]

@ Peter

[yaki]

The National 4x4 Response is an umbrella organisation for the 4x4 Response Network and it is a registered charity. The UK is then split into regions and there are 4x4 Response groups that cover most area's, these groups are self run by volunteers and are also usually a charity in their own right.

Unfortunately loads of people think if you are a charity then you automatically get a wedge of cash from all sorts of places but this is not the case.

4x4 Response Wales is part of the 4x4 Response network, we are a registered charity and the only income we have is from fund raising events that we organise plus the £15- membership fee charged.

There are no paid staff and the controllers and other admin staff all give up our time for free to run the organisation.

In Wales your £15- membership fee pays for your HiViz vest and coat, ID badge, stickers for your vehicle, public liability insurance and personal accident insurance.

Training is done across the organisation in Wales and generally this is provided free where possible but we have to pay for some of the locations used so there is sometimes a minimal charge to cover this.

[SnortonR]

[richardshall]

[FUDDY MUCKER]

Yeap, ALL crb checks have to be paid for irrespectively of weather or not you are a registered charity or rely on volunteers.

[th4neuk]

I've just joined the yorks-lincs 4x4 response group tonight.

Hopefully will be able to learn some stuff as they do training days etc

Cheers

Alan