Dr Tim Potts with the association's casualty care instructors and some of the equipment bought with the grant

Mountain rescuers in south Wales have received a boost to their medical training thanks to a lottery grant.

South Wales Search and Rescue Association was awarded £5,000 by the Big Lottery Fund for medical equipment and training.

The umbrella body for rescue and search dog teams covers the area from the South up to mid- and west Wales, as far as the North Wales Police border near Machynlleth and Welshpool.

The association used the cash to buy vital training equipment for its members which has been of benefit during its regular medical training sessions

Len Harbottle from SWSARA said: “We were delighted to be selected to receive the award from the National Lottery.

“All our teams rely almost entirely on public donations and we simply wouldn’t have been able to invest in this quality of medical training equipment without this award.”

Tim Potts, medical course director for SWSARA, added: “We’ve already used the equipment for training and our students and instructors have been very impressed. The last course had a pass rate of 83 per cent which was excellent.

“All our members are highly trained volunteers and this equipment contributes to the effectiveness of the medical training that leads to improved standards in the level of medical care that team members can provide on the hills”

Teams covered by the association are: Brecon, Central Beacons, Longtown and Western Beacons Mountain Rescue Teams; the South and Mid Wales Cave Rescue Team and Sarda South Wales, the Search and Rescue Dog Association.