As the second wave of winter weather hits the country one group of well-equipped residents are doing their bit to keep Hampshire moving.
The Hampshire and Berkshire 4x4 Responders are a regional branch of a national organisation providing support for emergency services.
The group consists of volunteers with off-road vehicles who are on standby to help organisations keep moving in bad weather.
Basingstoke borough councillor for Tadley Stephen West is calling for more volunteers in North Hampshire to sign up.
He said: “We are not a bunch of do-gooders going out on the road trying to help and causing more chaos but a fully co-ordinated trained group of volunteers providing an essential service.
“Our aim is to keep things ticking over when the snows hit. The difference between key services carrying on through the snow can for many residents be the difference between life and death.”
Across the two counties there are more than 100 volunteers and Tadley has six volunteers who are on duty 24 hours, seven days a week.
All members of the regional branch cover all of Hampshire and Berkshire but chairman of Hants branch, Tj Nicolson, said the majority of call-outs have been in Basingstoke.
The responders do not help members of the public but are contracted to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Hampshire County Council and Basingstoke Hospital, who ring a central control room for assistance.
The control room then sends a bulk text message to all responders with details of the job and the volunteers able to help hit the roads.
Mr Nicolson said: “What we do is work with local authorities in essential worker transportation to ensure the right people get to the right places when otherwise they would be stranded,”
Most of the jobs see volunteers transporting doctors, nurses and care workers to and from work.
Mr Nicolson, a Micheldever resident, said: “There was one case where I had to transport a doctor from Basingstoke to Reading. He was amazed that I could get through the two feet of snow in the road that had him stranded at home.”
When the first arctic blast hit Basingstoke two weeks ago, the responders were called out 58 times on the Thursday.
The group was set up four years ago but only became operational in 2008.
Since then, demand for its services has skyrocketed to the extent that the responders have had to refuse contracts.
Mr Nicolson said: “I try to let us walk before we can run, for people need to know what we can provide.
“There is no point saying you can do something and then find yourself swamped. Especially in harsh weather this can do a lot more harm than good.”
Residents wishing to become a responder must own a road legal 4x4 and have a full driving license with no more than six points.
For more information, visit www.hampshire4x4response.co.uk.
