Volunteer
What’s an everyday hero?
The word everyday means normal, average, run of the mill. That reflects our members being normal people with normal jobs. They could be anyone amongst us.
But they choose to do heroic things every day. They give up their time and money to train hard, maintain their skills, walk into danger and help people. They support the charity and each other to grow.
None of them are full-time rescuers. The training, the callouts and the fundraising all get fitted around shifts, school runs and everything else a normal life already contains.
They are ordinary people doing extraordinary, altruistic things every day.
If that sounds like something you want to be part of, read on.
What we are looking for
Commitment. That is the honest answer.
We can teach you everything else. Navigation, search techniques, casualty care, radio communications, boat handling, drone operation. All of it. What we cannot teach is the willingness to keep showing up, month after month, when it would be easier to stay in bed.
You do not need to be super-strong or super-fit. Not every role is for everyone, and we are looking for a range of abilities, backgrounds and strengths.
But you do need to be able to walk off-road for a few hours safely, perform chest compressions for two minutes, and work as a team member.
A fair warning
We are going to be straight with you, because we would rather you knew this now than found out the hard way.
80%
of new recruits will not reach operational status
200+
hours a year from each operational member, on average
4
fundraising days a year that everyone is asked to support
24/7
callouts can come at any time of day or night, and they are not optional
This is, in effect, a second job. It takes months to become operational. Around 80% of new recruits will not make it to operational status, mainly because the commitment is greater than they expected. Training happens regularly, usually in evenings and at weekends, and you need to attend consistently. You will also need your own transport, because members deploy from home and meet their own fuel costs.
If you are expecting blue lights, fast driving and action, we do not do that. We operate at a safe and steady pace with a risk-minimising approach. The work is often cold, wet, tiring and unglamorous.
The satisfaction comes from knowing that you are part of something that genuinely matters.
Roles available
01
Search Technicians
The core operational role. You will be trained to Lowland Rescue standards in search techniques, navigation, casualty care and scene management. Additional skills in water rescue, and in time search dog handling, come after basic training for those who want to pursue them.
02
Support Technicians
A critical role that underpins every search operation. Support Technicians handle logistics, welfare, radio communications and vehicle management. If search technicians are the people in the field, support technicians are the people who make sure the field operation actually works.
03
Fundraisers
Without money, we cannot operate. Our fundraising team organises events, manages grant applications, coordinates corporate partnerships and finds creative ways to keep the lights on. If you have experience in marketing, events, grant writing or just talking to people, we need you.
04
Community Ambassadors
People who champion our cause and help us raise our profile in the community. This might involve attending events, delivering presentations, engaging with local businesses or simply spreading the word about what we do and why it matters.
How to apply
We typically recruit new members once or twice a year. Our current recruitment status is shown below. If recruitment is currently closed, you can register your interest and we will contact you when the next intake opens.
Recruitment status
Currently closed
Our next intake date has not been announced yet. Register your interest below and we will contact you as soon as it opens.
