Volunteers from The Hogg Motorsport Association have returned home after providing frontline rally rescue at the famous Isle of Mull Car Rally on the west coast of Scotland.
The event marked the first motorsport outing for the charity’s new purpose-built Phil Hogg Rescue Ambulance, which was transported to the Island courtesy of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company in September. The Company also offered free-of-charge return ferry travel for the charity as its members travelled to and from the UK for the car rally.
The Hogg Motorsport Association, part of the Rob Vine Fund, acquired two new frontline rescue ambulances in 2017 and 2018 and is pleased to add the latest emergency vehicle, licensed by Motorsport UK (MSUK), to its fleet. This will help the charity meet demand for its rescue services, which are crewed by 18 unpaid volunteers.
In addition to medical equipment, the new rescue ambulance has a complete set of professional Holmatro extrication gear with fire extinguishers. The crew are all licensed by MSUK to provide medical care and rescue cover for two and four-wheeled events and, throughout 2019, The Hogg Motorsport Association has attended 135 motorsport sessions for bikes and cars.
The cost of the £115,000 ambulance was helped by a record-breaking £22,000 collected on-board by passengers on Steam Packet Company vessels during TT 2019, bringing the total donated since 1995 to nearly £300,000.
Dr David B Stevens MBE, a Director of the Rob Vine Fund, said: ‘Our charity is forever grateful to the Steam Packet Company for its continued support, which has been invaluable over the years. Its vital support helps the Hogg Motorsport Association provide first-class pre-hospital immediate care for motorsport events in the Isle of Man and further afield.’
Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Chief Executive Mark Woodward added: ‘We have a fantastic partnership with The Hogg Motorsport Association and have great respect for what they do. It was a pleasure to offer our travel support in bringing over the new ambulance, which will help save lives in the Isle of Man, and as they travelled to and from Mull to provide frontline rally rescue.’
Hogg Motorsport crew with Steam Packet Company staff as they boarded the Ben-my-Chree for the Rally of Mull, alongside the new rescue ambulance (left) and emergency unit
