Get involved
We save people in danger. Always on-call. Always professional. Always volunteers.
That last word is the important one. We are entirely funded by charitable donations and grants. We receive nothing from the government.
When our teams deploy at 3am to search for a missing child, every piece of equipment they carry, every vehicle they drive and every hour of training that prepared them for that moment was paid for by people who chose to help.
None of it is abstract. Every contribution becomes something specific: a set of waterproofs, a place on a course, a tank of diesel, a replacement radio battery.
There are three ways you can support what we do. Each one makes a direct, measurable difference to our ability to respond when the call comes.
Three ways to help
Donate
Your donation goes directly to keeping the team operational. Equipment, training, vehicles, fuel, insurance. There is no bureaucracy, no middleman, no corporate overhead. We have no paid staff. Every penny you give goes towards the mission.
You can give once, give monthly, sponsor our river patrols specifically, leave a gift in your will, or organise your own fundraising event.
Volunteer
We are always looking for people who want to give their time. You do not need any prior experience. We provide all the training. What we need is commitment, reliability and the willingness to put others before yourself.
We need Search Technicians on the ground, but we also need Support Technicians, drivers, fundraisers, community ambassadors and people with skills in everything from photography to finance to social media.
Corporate support
If your business wants to make a real difference in the community it operates in, talk to us. Corporate partnerships provide the reliable, sustained funding that allows us to plan ahead, invest in equipment and grow our capability.
In return, we offer meaningful CSR engagement, staff training in water safety, and association with a cause that your employees and customers can genuinely get behind.
What it takes to stay ready
It costs over £100,000 a year to keep West Mercia Search & Rescue operational. There is no bureaucracy, no middleman, no corporate overhead. We have no paid staff.
£100,000
a year to keep the team operational
£0
from central government
0
paid staff, at any level
200+
hours a year from each operational member
Every penny you give goes towards the mission.
