Meet Adrian Smith, who dedicates any spare moment he has to volunteer at Warwickshire Search and Rescue.
Meet Adrian Smith, a 65-year-old retiree who works part-time in the NHS, alongside dedicating any spare moment he has to volunteer at Warwickshire Search and Rescue (WarkSAR), part of a much bigger family of 36 operational Lowland Rescue teams across the UK. The strapline of Lowland Rescue is “from Hill to High Water” and their mission is to search for vulnerable and high-risk missing persons.
Following completion of WarkSAR’s training assessments that included navigation, first aid, and radio communications, Adrian became an operational member of the team. He is also a team vehicle driver, and is now the current Vice Chair of the charity.
Speaking about his role at WarkSAR, Adrian said: “Searching typically involves being part of a small team of four, covering areas defined by the search planner and using skills developed during training - whether it be for open fields or wooded areas. I have also undergone Swift Water Technician training, and this advanced training means that I can search riverbanks, rivers, and open water.”
There are a variety of voluntary team roles available at WarkSAR, which range from looking after the team vehicles (you may have seen them parked up at Stoneleigh Park), and the maintenance of HQ buildings, to getting involved in fundraising events and activities for the charity.
Volunteers at WarkSAR also spend a large amount of time training to be prepared for any scenario, and are on call 24/7 to search for missing persons when asked by the Police to do so.
Adrian said: “We are called by the Police who have primacy over the search operation. As we work under the emergency services, several team members including myself have qualified for the award of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal for over five years of service. As time has progressed, I have also received specialist training in Search Planning and Search Operations which together qualify me as a Search Manger - the team member who has overall control of a search in liaison with the Police Search Advisor.”
Adrian first came across the organisation at Leamington Parkrun when they attended with an Incident Control Unit as ‘charity of the day’. He explains his reason for joining, and how it gives him a sense of doing something worthwhile to help others: “I enjoy walking in all weathers, especially as we have three dogs at home, and helping others, bringing experience from being a former Street Pastor in Leamington where I used to give out water and flip flops to clubbers on their way home on a Saturday night. My work circumstances were changing, and I was moving to part-time working. WarkSAR seemed to be an ideal use of some of the free time that I would be shortly gaining, and it is not something I regret; even in thick woodland in the middle of the night in lashing rain, searching for someone who needs our help is so important, and is especially rewarding when it is a success.”
He continues: "WarkSAR also provided me with a great opportunity to learn new skills and work as a team. You only need to see social media to realise how many people go missing, intentionally or otherwise. We are a valuable and highly trained resource that the police can call upon to assist in the search for missing persons.”
As a volunteer charity, WarkSAR receives no formal funding and is funded through grants and fundraising events such as bucket collections at large supermarkets, or marshalling at events such as the Regency 10k run in Leamington Spa, Stratford Triathlon, and the Two Castles Run - you may have seen them in their orange high-vis jackets.
Recruiting to the team occurs once a year, and candidates considering joining WarkSAR are encouraged to think about the following:
- Do you have the time commitment for training, fundraising, and callouts?
- Can you be available at short notice?
- Will your partner or family mind if you have to disappear at short notice to attend a search operation for an unspecified amount of time?
Those who feel they can answer yes are invited to a recruitment day where they get a taster of what is involved, and are assessed by experienced operational members whilst also having the chance to ask questions and understand what is involved.
The WarkSAR team will be involved in The Big Help Out this May by continuing to be on-call 24/7 in case they are needed to help search for any missing persons.
For more information about WarkSAR visit www.warksar.org.uk. You can also find them on Facebook @warksar and Instagram @warksar.
To find out more volunteering stories and opportunities across Warwickshire, visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/volunteering
For more information about the Coronation in Warwickshire, visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/coronation