Funding

South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association is a registered charity (Reg. Charity: CHY17543 RCN20065478).  The operating costs currently run at approximately €95,000 per annum, which includes equipment, training, insurance, communications and routine running expenses.  All of the equipment used by S.E.M.R.A. has a finite ‘shelf life’, and therefore needs to be replaced on an ongoing basis.  Add to this the cost of vehicle maintenance, diesel etc. and it is easy to see how costs can mount up.

Team members are unpaid volunteers and subsidise the team’s activities by providing, among other things, their own personal equipment, provisions and transport.  The Team currently receives an annual grant support from the government of approximately €7,400.  The remaining running costs must be met by the teams own fund raising efforts, which include street collections and voluntary contributions.

Any donation is welcomed and acknowledged.

Our Supporters

SEMRA is dependent on a wide range of supporters. These include hill walking clubs, individual walkers, businesses, and members of the general public. We would like to thank all those who have supported us in the past and continue to support us on an ongoing basis.

Join SEMRA

Being a Mountain Rescue volunteer brings with it the satisfaction of helping to provide a frontline emergency service that saves lives.  Team members also enjoy good camaraderie and benefit from extensive training in mountain rescue.

Team members are expected to attend regular training sessions and team meetings.  There is always lots of administrative and maintenance work to be done and callouts can come at any time of the day or night.  This amounts to a big commitment of time and effort and should not be taken lightly.  Our members could not be involved in mountain rescue without the support and blessing of our families and partners.

  • Be at least 18 years old

  • Have a good hill walking or mountaineering background. Mountain Skills Assessment standard or better is required.

  • Be able to navigate proficiently and be able to move safely and competently over mountain terrain in all weather conditions during the day and at night in all seasons.

  • Possess suitable clothing and personal equipment to withstand 24 hours working effectively on an incident.

  • You must be capable of carrying all of your personal equipment plus any team kit required for an effective rescue.

  • Be physically and mentally fit and endeavour to remain so.

  • Be willing to work as part of a team carrying out tasks as required.

  • Possess a basic First Aid Certificate or equivalent qualification.

  • Have a good level of availability for callouts.

  • Be prepared to serve a probationary period of at least 12 months. During this time applicants will be expected to attend the majority of training sessions offered by the team and will be continuously assessed on their existing hill craft skills, newly acquired mountain rescue skills, level of fitness, temperament and suitability for team membership.

  • Be of good character.

We usually take in a group of new members every two years.  Announcements are placed in the local press, hillwalking publications and social media when a new recruitment is about to commence. You can keep up to date by following us on Twitter and liking our Facebook page.

If you are considering a career in Mountain Rescue you can contact us for further information at info@semra.ie and we will put you on the list of people interested in joining the team.