Help us raise funds to purchase a 4x4 vehicle for deploying search teams, equipment and also to help recover missing persons to a place of safety.

Hampshire Search and Rescue needs £40,000 to purchase a 4x4 vehicle, e.g. Land Rover Defender 110 Utility, that would be converted for our use with blue lights and registered as an ambulance.

The vehicle will be used by our search and rescue teams within the Hampshire and Isle of Wight areas in conjunction with Hampshire Police.

The vehicle will be used to provide a rapid deployment of our search and rescue teams in the searches for vulnerable missing persons. We would also be able to, if required, recover a casualty to a place of safety.  A 4x4 vehicle would also allow us to deploy our teams further a field, drop off kit and recover teams as needed. It could also be used for vehicle searches on forest tracks and we would also be equipped to assist official agencies in the rescue of people in severe weather conditions, e.g. snow, flooding.

The money would be used for purchasing a new Land Rover Defender 110 Utility and having it converted with blue lights and equipped with first aid kits and a stretcher. It would also be converted to have the capability of being used as a forward control vehicle.

We have worked closely with Hampshire Police since December 2002. We will and have helped any member of the public that requires our assistance. We are a very strong unit within our community and we welcome new members, regardless of age and ethnicity, to join our team as either an operational or a support member. All our operational members are professionally trained in search techniques, first aid, map reading, radio operation, search planning and management. This rewarding service enables people to play an active part in our community and helps those that are in need.

Immediately after the Land Rover has been converted for HANTSAR needs, we will have improved accessibility in allowing us to deploy our search teams as close as a 4x4 would allow us to the search site to commence a search and rescue operation.

The vehicle will be used to raise the profile of HANTSAR within our community and will help to increase the awareness of volunteering in an organization that plays an active role in the local community on an ongoing basis.

Our training, which is ongoing, prepares our volunteers for any situation that they may come across. The 4x4 will be an asset in all aspects of our training sessions and will give our members access to a wider range of first aid equipment.

The 4x4 would allows us to work closer with other official agencies within the community, as it would allow us to go where our conventional vehicle does not allow us to. Creating a stronger community between the emergency services and HANTSAR.

The Land Rover would allow us to deploy our dedicated teams to the search area quickly, allowing us to be on the ground searching for a vulnerable missing. Time is an important factor when searching for a vulnerable missing person as time decreases survivability.

Our project will immediately help vulnerable missing persons, whether it’s an elderly person with Alzheimers or dementia, a child or someone who it is feared is at risk, by allowing our search teams to be deployed quicker with appropriate kit and on the ground searching for them. Time is a very important factor when searching for vulnerable missing persons and giving them the best chance of survival.

Our dedicated team of volunteers will also benefit because when they receive the call for a search, they want to be at the search site as soon as possible, so that they can form a team and start searching.

Hampshire Police would also see the benefit from our project. As we will have a quicker response time to their initial call-out for a vulnerable missing person.

We know that all of the above will directly benefit from our project from having discussions with our team members and Hampshire Police about how we can improve our services to the people of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Also, we know that our project will benefit vulnerable missing people by talking to Alzheimer Societies, etc. to learn more about people with long term poor mental health’s behaviour.

So if you would like to help us by making a donation towards our vehicle appeal please contact us by phone, complete the contact us form or fill in the gift aid donation form. Companies and organisations may wish to sponsor the vehicle or have their logo displayed in return for a donation and we would be particularly interested in hearing from them.

Donations to date:

Rotary Club of Rushmoor - £100.00

Collection Day in Sainsbury's Winchester - £258.25

Pete's 2 ladies Donation - £5.00

Collection Day in Debenhams Winchester (May) - £532.38

British Heart Foundation - £400 (From event safety cover)

Collection Day in Debenhams Winchester - £379.32

Test Valley Rotary Walk the Test Way - £509.60

BBC Radio Solent - £400

Anonymous Donation - £40