New medical equipment and more volunteers to support search and rescue response across Worcestershire

The funding has enabled the search and rescue team to purchase new medical kits, upgrade existing equipment at Kidderminster Fire Station, recruit additional volunteers, and provide further training opportunities for its existing volunteer team.

SARA provides search, water and rope rescue services across Worcestershire and has played a key role in supporting the county's response to this summer's heatwaves, most recently assisting West Midlands Fire Service and West Midlands Police during the Stourbridge fires.

Volunteers have also been patrolling the River Severn, helping to raise awareness of the dangers of open water swimming during the prolonged period of hot weather.

Councillor Alan Bailes, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, recently visited SARA's base in Wyre Forest to officially hand over the equipment, learn more about what the association provides, talk with their volunteers and thank them for their service across the county.

At his visit, Councillor Alan Bailes, Worcestershire County Council's Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing said:
"It was great to visit Severn Area Rescue Association and see first-hand the incredible work their volunteers do to keep people safe across Worcestershire and beyond.

This funding has helped provide new equipment and training opportunities that will support their work and help them continue responding when communities need them most.

I really enjoyed meeting members of the team, hearing about their experiences, and learning more about what motivates them to volunteer their time and skills. We'd like to thank them for everything they do for our residents, especially during what has been a particularly busy summer."

Ian Lofthouse, SARA Wyre Forest General Manager said: "We were delighted to host a visit from Alan Bailes and Nathan Hazlehurst from Worcestershire County Council to formally hand over our new and expanded medical equipment. Their visit gave us the chance to demonstrate the work that our volunteers in SARA perform. This timely injection of funds has enabled us to modernise our training and operational equipment, providing a real boost to the crews' morale, not to mention operational effectiveness and our ability to train more volunteers to save lives in the community."

To find out more about the Public Health Community Grant programme please visit the dedicated pages of our website.