£670 boost for search and rescue dogs thanks to Inverness store

Furry rescuers who help make the difference between life and death in the Scottish mountains have been given a cash boost – thanks to the generosity of an Inverness store and its customers.

Alpkit, which is based inside The Ledge indoor rock climbing centre in Telford Street, donated £670 towards SARDA Scotland last week.

The money was raised during a spring bank holiday initiative in the store, which saw the business commit towards donating 10 per cent of its takings from the four-day Easter weekend.

And the company was good to its word, handing over £670 to SARDA Scotland – Search and Rescue Dog Association Scotland.

The money will be used to help towards training the charity’s dogs and helping to certify them for lifesaving mountain rescues.

Alpkit’s Sean Unwin, said he’d been inspired to choose SARDA as the recipients, having seen the generous and kind-hearted actions of rescue dog handlers during his time working in mountain rescue himself.

The Inverness store manager explained that he had been based at RAF Kinloss for several years in the 1980s and that he had seen dog handlers who had paid out of their own pockets to ensure their animals were fully certified for mountain rescue work.

“When I was in rescue full time [I knew a guy]. He took a lot of time and own expense to get his own dogs certified to search. I saw that and thought this would be a great way to give money to help others get there. It’s a lot of hard work to get certified.

“They do spend a lot of their own time and money to get their own dogs certified and I appreciated that when I was on the mountain rescue team.”

Representatives from SARDA Scotland, and a couple of their furry lifesavers, were on hand during the cheque handover last week.

Mr Unwin said the “dogs warmed the hearts of the customers” and that this was a good way to encourage others to donate to the worthy cause.

The charity is not the only cause Alpkit is involved with. It also runs its own Continuum Project in-house, which is designed to encourage people to donate their pre-loved clothes, rucksacks, walking boots and walking poles, for re-use with good causes.

As well as helping to create a circular/greener re-use economy, it also helps clothe others.

He explained that the Inverness store’s participation in the Continuum Project had seen it link up with the social enterprise and outdoor education charity Àban. The charity provides weekly free-to-access outdoor youth groups, among other things.

The store’s Continuum Project has also been helping Highland-based refugees, with donations of clothing having helped more than 50 in the region.

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