The Challenge
Mountain Rescue England and Wales (MREW) is powered by over 3,000 extraordinary volunteers — people who drop everything, at any hour, to save lives in the toughest conditions.
Yet while every one of MREW’s 47 local teams shares the same mission, each carries its own proud history, traditions, and deep community roots. The result… a powerful network of heroes, but one without a single, unified voice.
The challenge was clear: how could MREW honour the uniqueness of every team while defining the shared spirit that binds them all?
This was more than a branding exercise; it was about shaping the culture and voice of a movement.
The Approach
Unity doesn’t come from asking people to align. It comes from understanding what already connects them.
Using a blend of insight and human centred design, through co-creation we helped MREW see their culture through a new lens. Together, we explored what being a mountain rescuer truly means and the values that drive people to step forward in moments of need, and the shared spirit that connects teams across regions.
Through open dialogue, reflection, and storytelling what began as data became something deeply human.
When people are invited to co-create meaning rather than receive it, they engage more deeply. Building trust, ownership, and turning insight into genuine shared understanding.
The Impact
Forty-seven teams. One shared ethos.
Four values that feel real. Lived, not laminated.
Now, every volunteer sees themselves in MREW’s identity and brings it to life daily.
The approach fostered connection and ownership; moving the culture from cooperation to collaboration.
With one voice and a clear sense of purpose, MREW has a stronger national presence, is more aligned, and ready for faster, smoother rescues.
900+
Volunteers shaped their shared identity
4
Distilled ethos into defined behaviours and ways of work
47 to 1
Regional organisations unified as ONE
You’ve shown extraordinary patience; unlike anything we’ve seen before. Your passion and creativity have taken us exactly where we needed to be, guiding us through frustration and challenge to real alignment. What made the difference was your consistency and standing by us from start to finish, always steady, always involved. You navigated every obstacle with professionalism and agility. Fantastic. We needed ICE’s outside perspective: the right questions, great listening, and the courage to challenge us. Your tenacity and persistence were remarkable. You stayed the course when others might have walked away and because of that, we now have clarity, tools, and direction for what comes next.
Mike Park
CEO
