Bridgedale product manager Chris Gordon joins Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team with their socks
Leading UK brand Bridgedale has donated 10,000 pairs of its socks to rescuers across the country.
The manufacturer revealed more than 70 per cent of mountain rescue teams across the UK have been supplied in its campaign to support the volunteers.
Each team member receives Bridgedale’s WoolFusion Trekker, the all-round sock which was already popular with many team members, and has proved beneficial in helping teams get to any incident on the mountains quickly and safely, despite often difficult terrains and weather conditions.
The WoolFusion Trail and Ultra Light have also proved popular for warmer weather use or time spent around HQ. 2,200 rescuers have received socks from the Newtownards, Northern Ireland, company.
A team spokesperson said: “When Bridgedale first started discussions with mountain rescue teams back in 2013, it quickly became apparent that most members considered socks as one of the most important pieces of kit.
“Having to spend many search and rescue hours in often unpredictable and gruelling conditions over challenging terrains, the value of high performance and comfortable socks has been left in no doubt.
“Mountain rescue teams from all over the UK continue to benefit from Bridgedale’s support, including the 10 Lake District teams, all the major Scottish and Welsh search and rescue and other teams ranging from Northumberland to Dartmoor SART.”
Bridgedale managing director Steve Fowler said: “We’re dedicated to showing our appreciation for the crucial rescue work carried out by these teams. Without these voluntary organisations, safety in the mountains would be severely compromised.
“As an outdoor enthusiast myself, I am very passionate about providing support to search and rescue teams as we simply don’t know when they will be needed and any of us could rely on them at some point.
“In the UK, as in many other parts of the world, team members and their supporters are volunteers who give their time freely. They deserve great socks to help them save lives and protect our fellow walkers and mountaineers.”
As well as continuing to help UK teams, Bridgedale now plans to extend its partnership support to North American search and rescue teams. Mr Fowler said: “With our Bridgedale North America subsidiary now up and running, we can easily coordinate our support with teams all over the US and Canada.”
