A GROUP of young people from Iceland have taken part in a ten-day exchange visit with a search-and-rescue team in the North-East.

Eight youth team members, accompanied by two leaders from Isafjordur Search and Rescue Team in Iceland, travelled to the Teesdale and Weardale Search and Rescue Team (YWSRT) base, in County Durham.

The project, funded by North Pennines Leader+ was aimed at learning and sharing ideas and techniques between teams.

There was an intensive programme of events, which allowed 12 English youth team members to work closely with their Icelandic counterparts. It included a presentation at the TWSRT base in Barnard Castle, while Patterdale and Keswick Mountain Rescue Teams were also visited to show the broad spectrum of mountain rescue in the UK.

The Icelandic team travelled to the RNLI stations at Hartlepool and Sunderland and were able to go on a trip in the Hartlepool lifeboat.

The group spent four days in the Lake District and went on several mountain walks including Scafell Pike and the Helvellyn horseshoe.

Other activities included rock climbing and abseiling, and swimming in the lakes and rivers. The programme ended with a barbecue and the exchange of team badges and pictures.

The member are now looking forward to making the return trip to Iceland next July.

Anyone interested in joining the Teesdale and Weardale SAR Youth Team is asked to contact Chris Roberts, via the website www.twsrt.org or write to The Rescue Centre, Bede Kirk, Barnard Castle DL12 8DJ.