Our story
West Mercia Search & Rescue grew from a small group of people who believed their community deserved better.
The team was founded in June 2007, originally under the name West Midlands Search and Rescue, in recognition that the counties of Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire needed a dedicated lowland search and rescue capability.
The police and fire services do an extraordinary job with the resources they have, but when a vulnerable person goes missing or a river bursts its banks, the demand for specialist search capability can outstrip what the statutory services are able to provide on their own.
That gap is what we fill, and we have been filling it ever since.
Our journey
2007
The team is founded in June, and within a year has adopted its first formal constitution and registered with the Charity Commission.
2010
Our response to the Worcester floods earns commendations from West Midlands Ambulance Service.
2011
A DEFRA grant enables us to train and equip a flood rescue team capable of deploying anywhere in the country, with 24 trained boat crew and flood rescue technicians. We are accepted as a member of the Association of Lowland Search and Rescue.
2012
A second base opens in Telford, extending our coverage across Shropshire. In October, we deploy to the search for April Jones near Machynlleth, the biggest deployment of UK search and rescue teams the country had seen.
2014
Two of our boat crews are deployed by DEFRA to the Somerset Levels floods, and we respond to flooding across our own counties alongside Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service.
2015
A Department for Transport grant under the Inshore Lifeboat Scheme funds three new boats.
2016
Our kayak team launches, annual callouts nearly double from 26 to 48, and the team grows from 40 to more than 80 members.
2017–18
Two tragedies on our rivers shape the charity’s future. Following the deaths of Shane Walsh and Tom Jones, their families choose to channel their loss into water safety campaigning. Kirsty Walsh becomes an ambassador for river safety, and Vikki and Ian Jones establish the Tom Jones In Memoriam Fund. Their courage drives the water safety education work we do today.
2020
Through the pandemic lockdowns the team attends 71 incidents and gives more than 5,775 volunteer hours.
2021
We agree a water resources storage arrangement with the Army Reserve Centre in Kidderminster, and grants from Aviva and the National Lottery Community Fund fund a specialist search planning system.
2022
West Mercia Search & Rescue receives the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, and 31 long-serving members receive the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal.
2024
Members are awarded the King’s Coronation Medal, and The Tom Jones Story, produced with Big Button TV, wins an EVCOM Silver Award.
2025
The team relocates its Telford operation to Tweedale fire station and signs operational agreements with West Midlands Police and West Midlands Ambulance Service, extending the reach of our support beyond our home counties.
Recognition
Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service
In recognition of the outstanding contribution our volunteers make to the community, West Mercia Search & Rescue received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2022. This is the highest award given to volunteer groups across the United Kingdom and is the equivalent of an MBE for volunteer organisations. It is awarded to groups that demonstrate sustained excellence in voluntary activity and provide a significant benefit to the local community.
Armed Forces Covenant
We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant, recognising and supporting serving and veteran members of the team, and acknowledging the sacrifice that members of the armed forces and their families make for our country.
Lowland Rescue
We are an accredited member of Lowland Rescue, the governing body for lowland search and rescue in the United Kingdom. Lowland Rescue represents over 36 teams and 1,800 trained search technicians nationwide. Our membership means we operate to nationally recognised standards and are part of the broader UKSAR infrastructure alongside Mountain Rescue, Cave Rescue, the Coastguard and the RNLI.
Type B
National flood rescue asset
DEFRA national asset
We hold a place on the DEFRA flood rescue national asset register as a Type B powered boat team. This means we meet the national standards for flood rescue capability and can be deployed anywhere in the country when widespread flooding occurs. This status is not given lightly, and it requires sustained investment in equipment, training and operational readiness.
Becoming a CIO
In 2024, we completed the transition from a traditional charity to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), registered with the Charity Commission under number 1211785. This structure provides stronger governance, clearer accountability and better protection for our trustees, whilst maintaining our charitable purpose and tax-exempt status.
Our trustees
The team is governed by a board of trustees who bring a range of professional experience to the charity. Our trustees have included a retired Chief Fire Officer of Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service, a retired senior Police Officer, a solicitor and experienced SAR professionals. They provide the strategic direction and financial oversight that ensures the charity operates responsibly and effectively.
