Ægir rescue team puts headquarters up for sale

The Ægir rescue team in Garður has put its headquarters, Þorsteinsbúð, up for sale as it faces an uncertain future, mbl.is reports.

In a Facebook post, the team said it was “up against the wall for numerous reasons” and was examining ways to strengthen and protect its operations in the future.

“No one is playing around or making snap decisions here,” the post said. “The Ægir rescue team is up against the wall for numerous reasons and, as a result, our future is uncertain and unclear.”

The team said the response to the decision had been largely positive and understanding, but that it wanted to explain the reasons behind the sale.

Ingólfur Einar Sigurjónsson, chairman of Ægir, told mbl.is that the idea had surfaced from time to time. The team had now decided to assess its position and see whether selling the building could create opportunities or help streamline its operations.

He said volunteer work had changed significantly over the past few decades and was becoming increasingly difficult, not only in rescue teams but in voluntary organisations generally.

“In the past, men would come together and entire buildings were built for all kinds of community activities,” Ingólfur said.

Ægir said in its post that it had received the building, which measures nearly 2,000 square metres, as a gift 30 years ago. It later became a major part of the team’s history.

“Throughout this time, the building and the team have continually adapted to one another, and that is still the case today,” the post said.

The team added that substantial work and very large sums of money had been spent maintaining the building over the past 10 years. As volunteers who rely on public support and carry out extensive fundraising work, members now had to face the figures and facts rather than let emotions determine the decision, it said.