When disaster strikes they go
Every year, when earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes devastate communities, Serve On volunteers are ready to deploy at a moment’s notice.
For more than 30 years, our teams have worked in some of the most challenging environments on earth, searching for survivors where time is critical and conditions are unforgiving.
Our International Response Team is made up entirely of volunteers. Highly trained. Deeply committed. Ready to act when it matters most.
But before anyone earns the right to deploy, they must complete one of the most demanding volunteer training programmes in the UK.
Meet the Trainees
Behind every helmet is a person with a reason for being here.
Each trainee has their own story. Their own motivation. Their own journey.
The Mission
This year, 17 volunteers have been selected to begin that journey.
Over the next two years, they will train in their spare time to become qualified international search and rescue technicians.
They will learn to operate in collapsed buildings, locate survivors using specialist equipment, and carry out complex rescues in dangerous and unstable environments.
At the end of it all, they must pass a final operational assessment before they can deploy.
The
Commitment
This is not a hobby. It is a serious commitment.
Training includes:
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Urban search and rescue
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Rope and access techniques
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Technical search equipment
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Disaster operations
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Medical and casualty care
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Leadership under pressure
Every hour is given voluntarily.
Every weekend, every late night, every physical and mental challenge is taken on alongside full time jobs and family life.
The Reality
Volunteering at this level comes with a cost.
Each trainee must fund around £3,000 per year, covering:
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Specialist rescue equipment
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Training kit
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Travel to exercises
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Accommodation
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Time away from work
Over two years, that becomes £6,000 per person.
For many, that cost is significant. For some, it is a barrier.
We believe the ability to serve should not depend on personal finances.
Support the Mission
£25
PER MONTH
Helps contribute towards essential training equipment
£100
PER MONTH
Supports travel and participation in training exercises
£500
ONE OFF
Funds specialist rescue equipment
£3,000
ONE OFF
Sponsors a trainee for one year
£6,000
ONE OFF
Fully sponsors a trainee through the entire programme
Why it Matters
Imagine working in a collapsed building, searching for signs of life while everything around you is unstable.
Imagine the responsibility of knowing someone’s survival depends on your training, your decisions, your team.
This is what our volunteers prepare for.
This is why this campaign matters.
