Saraid UK

31/05/2026

📺 In case you missed it, SARAID was featured on BBC Points West last night.

The feature highlights an ongoing challenge for many humanitarian organisations: raising the funds needed to maintain a highly trained, equipped and deployable disaster response capability.

Behind every deployment are countless hours of training, specialist equipment, exercises and preparation. These are the things that enable us to respond quickly and effectively when communities are impacted by disaster.

🎥 Watch the feature below to learn more about our work.

‼️ We’ll also be featured on ITV West Country today at 3:45pm - Tune in ‼️

If you’d like to support what we do, please consider making a donation via the link below. Every contribution helps strengthen our training, equipment and operational readiness, ensuring we’re prepared to respond when and where we’re needed most. https://www.justgiving.com/charity/SARAID

30/05/2026

🎥 Today we were joined by the BBC News at Capita, The Fire Service College for Exercise Menthon, a simulated multi storey car park collapse that puts our operational readiness to the test and gives us the chance to demonstrate what we do.

As we reach the halfway point of our training year, it’s a timely reminder of why we invest so many hours in preparing for the moments that matter most. We’re grateful to the BBC for providing a platform to showcase the dedication, professionalism and commitment of our volunteers.

📍 Tune into BBC Points West this evening at 5:55pm to see SARAID in action, including rescue footage and interviews with some of the people who make the charity what it is:

1️⃣ Erin, a USAR Trainee who joined us in January, shares how a single mission of saving lives and protecting people at their most vulnerable brings together individuals from all backgrounds and experiences. 🤝

2️⃣ Jen, an experienced USAR Technician, talks about the countless hours our teams train in all conditions, using specialist equipment such as Delsar acoustic detection systems and FIRSTLOOK 360 cameras to maintain the highest standards of readiness. 🛠️

3️⃣ Gary Francis FInSTR. DipFHID. DipEP. AIETecRI, National Director of SARAID, highlights the vital role fundraising plays in sustaining our work, and the innovative approaches needed to overcome the growing challenges faced by charities like ours. Corporate sponsorship, in-kind support, donor contributions and philanthropy all help make our mission possible. ❤️

If you catch the programme, we’d love to hear your thoughts. The online link is below, and the episode will remain available for 24 hours after broadcast. 📺

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002x86f

30/05/2026

Big weekend for SARAID volunteers who are facing the heat with our first major exercise this year.

Listen to Mark Scorer speaking on the Jon Smith BBC Radio Gloucestershire breakfast show yesterday morning about what we have in store.👇

Stay tuned for more to come later as the weekend unfolds…

&Rescue

28/05/2026

📻 We’ve got our very own Director of Operations Mark Scorer featuring on Jon Smith’s breakfast show on BBC Gloucestershire tomorrow morning to share a few words on and our upcoming team taking place at the The Fire Service College this weekend.

Tune in between 6am - 10am tomorrow morning (Friday 29th May) and please spread the word!

Your direct link to the station:

Listen live to Radio Gloucestershire on BBC Sounds

16/05/2026

𝗪𝗘 𝗗𝗜𝗗 𝗜𝗧! 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 🏆

We are beyond thrilled to announce that SARAID has been named “Team of the Year” at the prestigious Global Search and Rescue Excellence Awards ceremony held at the Institute of Civil Engineers in London. ⛑️

The award was accepted by our National Director Gary Francis FInSTR. DipFHID. DipEP. AIETecRI on behalf of the team 🤝

This award is a testament to the tireless dedication, grit, professionalism and expertise of our incredible volunteer team members.

From technical search specialists and paramedics to structural engineers, every volunteer member of our team balances their “day jobs” and home life with 24/7 readiness to deploy international to the world’s most devastating disasters to help those in distress.

As the UK’s only voluntary UN INSARAG Classified Light USAR Team, we pride ourselves on being self-sufficient and operationally elite. This recognition from the global SAR community hightlights:

Operational Excellence: ⚙️📋🌍
Our commitment to the international standards in Urban Search and Rescue.

Volunteer Spirit: ❤️👥🦺
The thousands of hours of volunteers spend in training to ensure we’re ready when the call comes.

Innovation: 💡🤝🔬
Partnerships with Makita UK, MSA - The Safety Company, FIRSTLOOK 360, Savox Communications Ltd Delsar, Capita, The Fire Service College, Avon Fire & Rescue Service whose support make our deployments possible.

A Heartfelt Thank You 🙏🏼

To the organisers of the - FIRE magazine in partnership with the Institute of Search & Technical Rescue. (InSTR) and our award category sponsor Vimpex Ltd - thank you for shining a light on the unsung heroes of the frontline.

Most importantly, 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐊 𝐘𝐎𝐔 🫵, our supporters. We are 100% volunteer run and 100% donor funded. We couldn’t save lives without your help.

“𝑾𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒆𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒂 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆”

⛑️

GSARAwards searchandrescue TeamOfTheYear VolunteerHeroes disaterResponse makitauk FL360 MSA savox capitathefireservicecollege vimpex evolsar avonfrs

08/05/2026

𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 SARAID 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺! 👑

National Director Gary Francis FInSTR. DipFHID. DipEP. AIETecRI , Operations Director Mark Scorer and Deputy Operations Director Steve Jeffery, alongside their wives, had the privilege of attending the King’s Coronation Anniversary Garden Party at Buckingham Palace this week. 🏰

With the attendance of HM The King and HM The Queen, it was a memorable and rewarding occasion and a proud moment to see the work of the search and rescue community recognised in such a special setting 🌿🇬🇧

A fantastic day celebrating service, dedication and the people who make it all possible.👏

Photos from the day 👇

20/04/2026

**SARAID Training Update**

This month we showed our new cohort “the ropes” 🪢 on the topic of Safe Working at Height 🧗‍♂️ , while team 2 really “hit the nail on the head” 🔨 with their shoring and propping skills - scoping, measuring, constructing and analysing safe ways to operate effectively in structurally challenging areas.

“Props” to the training team for yet another fantastic weekend of learning and team building as we continue to build our capability and resources for international search and rescue ⛑️

And a big thank you to our volunteers and donors, who keep these training sessions going and provide us with the safety equipment we need to conduct life saving activities! 🙏🏼

If you’d like to contribute to our mission, please donate via this link - your support goes a long way:

https://www.justgiving.com/charity/SARAID

08/04/2026

Delighted to share that has been shortlisted for at the Global Search and Rescue Excellence Awards 🥳

To be recognised among such outstanding teams is an achievement in itself, and we’re really looking forward to joining our fellow nominees at the ceremony on 15 May.

A huge thank you to everyone who has supported us on this journey and made moments like this possible 🙏🏼

06/02/2026

Three years since the Türkiye earthquakes.

Today we’re thinking of the communities affected, and of those who were there in the days that followed. For SARAID, it is a reminder of the scale of need after a major disaster, and the importance of trained local and international responders working side by side.

01/02/2026

🌍🚨The Global Search & Rescue Excellence Awards 2026 are now open for nominations! 🌍🚨

These awards recognise the search and rescue teams, volunteers, organisations and partners who work relentlessly (& often unseen) to respond to someone’s greatest needs in the hardest of times.

At SARAID, this mission is at the core of everything we do: strengthen responder capabilities, deliver life-saving rescues around the world and build community resilience where it’s needed most.

If you’ve seen our work, trained with us, partnered alongside us, or witnessed the impact first-hand, we’d be incredibly grateful if you would consider nominating us!

🕒 The nomination takes less than 10 minutes
📝 You don’t need to be an expert — just share what you know or have experienced

🔗 Nomination link: https://pavpub.typeform.com/to/dmxfVJ7R?typeform-source=fire-magazine.co.uk