_Trustees’ Annual Report 2024-25_ _Cambridgeshire Search and Rescue_ ## Cambridgeshire Search and Rescue Trustees’ Annual Report 2024-25 This report covers the financial year beginning 1[st] July 2024 and ending 30[th] June 2025. ## Contents |1|Registration and trustees ................................................................................................................ 2|Registration and trustees ................................................................................................................ 2| |---|---|---| |2|Structure and management ............................................................................................................ 3|| ||2.1|Governing document ............................................................................................................. 3| ||2.2|How the charity is constituted .............................................................................................. 3| ||2.3|National governing body ....................................................................................................... 3| ||2.4|Trustee selection methods .................................................................................................... 3| ||2.5|Charitable objective ............................................................................................................... 3| |3|Activities, achievements and performance .................................................................................... 4|| ||3.1|Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 4| ||3.2|Callouts .................................................................................................................................. 4| ||3.3|Finance................................................................................................................................... 5| ||3.4|Recruitment and Membership .............................................................................................. 7| ||3.5|Training .................................................................................................................................. 8| ||3.6|Updates on the Workgroups ................................................................................................. 9| ||3.7|Outlook ................................................................................................................................ 10| |4|Financial review ............................................................................................................................ 11|| ||4.1|Reserves policy .................................................................................................................... 11| ||4.2|Independently examined accounts ..................................................................................... 11| |5|Declaration .................................................................................................................................... 11|| |Appendix||A
Summary of accounts .................................................................................................... 12| |Appendix||B
Independent Examiner’s report ..................................................................................... 14| |Appendix||C
Reserves policy .............................................................................................................. 16| Page 1 of 16 _Trustees’ Annual Report 2024-25_ _Cambridgeshire Search and Rescue_ ## 1 Registration and trustees |1 Registration and trustees|1 Registration and trustees|1 Registration and trustees|1 Registration and trustees| |---|---|---|---| |**Charity name:**
Cambridgeshire Search and Rescue|||| |**Other names known by: **
CamSAR|||| |**Registered charity number:**
1118622|||| |**Principal address:**|Unit 1
Mount Pleasant Industrial Estate
Pymoor, Ely
CB6 2DY||| |**Trustees:**
**_Name_**|**_Office_**
**_(if any)_**|**_Dates acted if_**
**_not wholeyear_**|**_Person/body entitled_**
**_to appoint trustee_**| |BarryCarter|Chair||AGM(terms 2019-21,2021-23,2023-25)| |Ian Woods|Treasurer||AGM(term 2021-23,2023-25)| |Stephen Hobbs|Vice-Chair||AGM(term 2019-21,2021-23,2023-25)| |Heather Franks|||Trustees(term 2022-2024,2024-26)| |Simon Jones|||AGM(term 2021-23,2023-25)| |Ciara Witty|Secretary||Trustees(term 2023-25)| |Louise Wyatt|||Trustees(term 2023-25)| |Lee Rockall|||Trustees(term 2023-25)| Annual General Meeting was held on Thursday 23[rd] October 2025. All Trustees remained at end of the reporting period. Page 2 of 16 _Trustees’ Annual Report 2024-25_ _Cambridgeshire Search and Rescue_ ## 2 Structure and management ## 2.1 Governing document CamSAR is governed by a constitution, adopted 1[st] August 2006 and subsequently amended on 6[th] January 2013, 30[th] October 2014, 29[th] November 2018, 24[th] September 2019 and 20[th] October 2023. ## 2.2 How the charity is constituted CamSAR is a registered charity constituted as an unincorporated association. ## 2.3 National governing body CamSAR is a member unit of Lowland Rescue, registered charity number 1150317. ## 2.4 Trustee selection methods The Trustees are the members of the Executive Committee as described in the constitution, which consists of between 3 and 8 members, including the Chair, Secretary and Treasurer (the officers) and a Vice Chair. Trustees are elected at General Meeting for a term length of 2 years. The trustees may also appoint new trustees and officers subject to conditions set in the constitution. ## 2.5 Charitable objective CamSAR’s objective, as stated in the constitution, is: _The provision of search and rescue assistance, both independently and in association with the full-time emergency services and other voluntary aid societies, and to assist in the relief of suffering amongst persons endangered by accident or natural hazard and the preservation of life, principally in Cambridgeshire but without geographical limitation._ Consequently, CamSAR’s primary role is as a specialist search and rescue team, called by Cambridgeshire Constabulary to plan, manage and undertake searches for high-risk vulnerable missing people. CamSAR trains its members to national (Lowland Rescue) standards as Search Managers, Search Operations Managers, Search Planners, Team Leaders and Search Technicians, and maintains equipment and several vehicles necessary to perform this role. Page 3 of 16 _Trustees’ Annual Report 2024-25_ _Cambridgeshire Search and Rescue_ ## 3 Activities, achievements and performance ## **Chairperson’s report to AGM, 23 October 2025** ## 3.1 Introduction Let me start by saying that we have all greatly benefited from another good year of contribution and support from the other Trustees helping us to remain in a strong position financially and resource-wise. This has enabled us to continue to provide a strong assistance to the police and the communities of Cambridgeshire, and most importantly of course to the vulnerable and high-risk missing persons and all those affected by them going missing. The year started with a full complement of eight (8) trustee places filled with individuals each offering a balanced knowledge, opinion and counsel both to me as Chairman and the charity as a whole. However, Simon Jones unfortunately decided to stand down in March and also after almost 9 years valuable service both operationally and as a trustee, Heather Franks, is standing down and so there are places open for new trustees. This year we have both Steve Hobbs as Vice Chair and Ciara Whitty as Secretary, both come to the end of their current terms that we are grateful to have them standing for re-election. Although Lee Rockall stood down from the team operationally, he has agreed to remain as a trustee (he has another 2 years of his term remaining). It has been yet another busy year for us. We have continued to grow and develop whilst successfully overcoming various issues that have routinely come our way and as a team recorded 8,800 hours in the year doing it. This report will attempt to summarise our year and the key points within it (and there have been many). A summary of our incidents, training and events attended is shown below: |Quarter 24/25|Incidents|Training|Events| |---|---|---|---| |Q3/24|8|32|58| |Q4/24|13|24|72| |Q1/25|7|24|46| |Q2/25|16|29|66| |Total events|44|109|242| |Total hours|2,239|4,391|2,170| Some good work has been done by those helping at the housekeeping days, including the build of the drying room and installing CCTV to the front of the building. More recently we have purchased new racking ## 3.2 Callouts Our team members gave 2,239 hours responding to 44 calls for assistance with an average attendance of 15 members and we had two (2) finds. ## A more detailed breakdown shows - 32 male (78%) and 9 female (22%). - 21 suicidal (48%) - There were mutual assists to Midshires (Stevenage) and NorlSAR (Crimplesham) and a deployment in Brampton for flooding in October 2024. - 27 suicidal (66%) - 9 despondent (22%) - 4 dementia (10%) - 1 autism Page 4 of 16 _Trustees’ Annual Report 2024-25_ _Cambridgeshire Search and Rescue_ Work was completed with the police regarding dementia and the Herbert Protocol and talks to various organisations around the county (notably CamSight this year) to raise awareness of the Herbert Protocol continue. A summary of number of callouts by year: Day versus Night Callouts: In October 2024 we were involved with providing support to a series of CPLRF Adverse Weather Conferences due to the incidences of flooding around the county and provided drone footage of properties effected in Brampton. ## 3.3 Finance ## 3.3.1 Treasurer A lot of work goes into preparing our annual accounts for scrutiny and then submission to the Charity Commission. We made some more significant purchases during the year including: - Insurances (liability, vehicle, drone, RIB and medical) – £9,683. - Drone DJI Mavic 3T – £5,165 (EAMBA grant). - Drone DJI Matrice 4TD – £4,000 (Huntingdon Freeman Trust grant). - Traverse Mule Litter Wheel with a stretcher and many accessories – £4,557 (HSF grant). - WRS X-Sled - £2,000 (FitSteps event by Zoe Kellock and a private donation). Page 5 of 16 _Trustees’ Annual Report 2024-25_ _Cambridgeshire Search and Rescue_ - Two kayaks – £1,800 (Redrow grant). - Starlink. Although the £21,150 purchase of the new RTV started in April, this was actually completed and delivered in the first month of the new 25/26 financial year and so is not included here. ## 3.3.2 Annual Return The Trustees’ Annual Report for 2023-24 was successfully submitted in August 2025. ## 3.3.3 Finance Team During the financial year we continued the good work of the finance committee in delivering on the following: - Quicker turnround on member expense claims. - A reserves policy. - Insurance cover reflected the value of our assets should they need to be replaced. ## 3.3.4 Budgeting Our annual budgeting activity is now a feature of our trustee calendar and takes input from the leads of all of the workgroups to help ensure that we can anticipate growth and support project initiatives. Not only must we maintain what we have but also ensure we continue to evolve and develop going forward. ## 3.3.5 Fundraising The lifeblood to the charity and enabling us to do what we do is fundraising. We are a charity, and we do receive any guaranteed funding and so fundraising is a vital expectation for every one of us being a team member or we cease to exist. We continue to encourage team members to actively identify fundraising opportunities and even help deliver these. Closely linked to our finances and indeed the ability of the charity to function at all are our efforts of the team to fundraise to be able to continue to sustain the team. Our Fundraising Team met throughout the year and continued to make and secure a series of successful grant applications and helped to organise our attendance to a series of events to raise the vital funds we need as well as raising the necessary awareness that has helped the team to grow. Again we should all be reminded that they are just coordinate our efforts and they do not do all of our fundraising. My sincere thanks goes to Ciara Whitty who took up the lead on this in, and she has been supported by Anne Ninham, Debbie Jones, Wayne Bent and Alan Tack. Sadly, Debbie decided to retire from the team in August and Anne now just supports Alan with the administration of the collection pots. They have had a successful run of grants being awarded, notably by Giffgaff which enabled us to bring forward the purchase of the new all-terrain vehicle. Some notable events or fundraising initiatives that we attended included: - Ely Aquafest (July 7). - St Marys School Fete July 12). - Sutton Beast Colour Blast (July 21). - Cambridge Classic Car Show (August 3). - Cambridge Criterium (August 25). - Sutton Picnic in the Park (August 31). - Copdock Motorbike Show (September 1). - Haddenham Steam Rally (September 7 and 8). - Pymoor Fireworks (November 23). - Santa Parades to Soham, Milton, Little Downham and Pymoor (9 nights in December). - Ely Tigers Celebration Day (May 10). - Cambridgeshire County Show (May 31). - Garden Party by Sue and Bob (June 24). Page 6 of 16 _Trustees’ Annual Report 2024-25_ _Cambridgeshire Search and Rescue_ - Little Thetford Village Feast (June 21). - Isle Fest (June 28). - Huntingdon Armed Forces Day (June 28). - Finally, the “Pymoor Charitea and Coffee Mornings” (nine during the year) have continued to be well supported by the local community. In addition, there were 39 awareness and fundraising talks given to various groups and organisations all over the county – including the WI, Squirrels, Beavers, Scouts, CamSight, schools, the RAFA, Salvation Army Ladies Fellowship, Savills, Probus, and the police cadets etc. One stand out event for me was the invite to the Children’s Ward of Addenbrookes Hospital in May for Emergency Services Week and our visit with Charlie Bear. Feedback to the team was that our visit was the most welcomed of those who visited in the week. Work to develop an underwater sonar capability have been temporarily put on hold as the police have been developing on their own project and this year’s big fundraising project was of course for the Kubota RTV (Rough-Terrain Vehicle) and we were able to place the order for it in April (for delivery in June 2025). Having now been delivered and had some conversion work done, it is hoped to also use it to transport Santa around the county this coming Christmas. ## 3.4 Recruitment and Membership ## 3.4.1 Recruitment Candidate recruitments took place in July and September 2024 and January and May 2025 and all of which are given presentations on what we do, the training needs and minimum commitment needed. All are also invited in to meet us or interviewed online to try and ensure the fit and motivation to join the team is there. As also noted elsewhere many thanks go to the smooth running of the trainee training by Simon Hale and all those helping and supporting. A lot of effort goes on in the background to producing effective probationary Licensed Search Technicians including all of the associated record keeping, DBS and police checks, and safeguarding training (both online session and two certifications). To help the membership and new members and to better understand the needs of the team a significant piece of work was started to develop a check-in and review process. This has generated a set of supporting documentation and it is pleasing that this has started to be rolled out in June. This will no doubt continue to evolve, but this aims to help provide feedback and guidance to all members including capturing any training needs, understanding shortfalls in attendance or performance or ensure we are aware of any desires to progress or perhaps be considered for any development opportunities in specific specialisms for example. Thanks to Simon Hale and the team that have helped put that together over the Summer. Our GDPR and Safeguarding Policies (CP8 and CP6 respectively) were revised and reissued during the year and a new Bullying and Harassment Policy (CP23) was issued in May. Thanks also go to Ciara Whitty for helping to put together a new “Welcome to New Starter Newsletter” document that helps newly qualified team members get up to speed. ## 3.4.2 Current Status of the Membership The current position with our members is that we have: - We have a total of **58** team members of which **37** were operational and available for callouts. - Membership is **64% male** (was 71%) and **36% female** (was 29%). - We had **17 new joiners** in the year (of which six have since retired). - We had **15 team members leave** . - The most common reason for retiring is “personal reasons” (26%). Page 7 of 16 _Trustees’ Annual Report 2024-25_ _Cambridgeshire Search and Rescue_ - Despite our best efforts, many still seem to underestimate the level of commitment required to be a useful member of the team. ## 3.4.3 Long Service we should also recognise and acknowledge the team members that have helped form the backbone of the team with their wonderful commitment and service to the team without whom we would not be where we are today: |Name|Years Service| |---|---| |Ken Dench|18years,8 months| |Steve Hobbs|18years,8 months| |Wayne Bent|18years,3 months| |GaryTyler|17years,0 months| |Alan Tack|15years,0 months| |Mark James|15years,3 months| |Martin Tapp|14years,3 months| |Simon Hale|11years,5 months| |John Stockwell|10years,8 months| This recognition also has to acknowledge the patience and understanding of these people’s families and friends who have had no small part to play in permitting them to devote such service to the team ## 3.5 Training As a team we undertook 109 (130 last year) separate training events in the year equating to over 4,391 volunteer hours. Critically, these sessions can only be achieved with the help and willingness of those planning them in the background and delivering them to help make that happen. We are fortunate to have a strong and diligent Training Team, with Ken Dench as our Training Officer ably supported by Simon Hale (who leads on the trainee training), and Wayne Bent and Ian Woods and the small group of training exercise support members. There were eight (8) Sunday workshop/ resilience sessions during the year around different venues in the county including Glebe Farm Kings Ripton, Buckden Marina, Kennet, and Chesterford Research Park. In addition there were 12 online sessions (one per month) in the evenings. We have also continued to train alongside the police water team and drone pilots. Without all this work, the team would not be able to continue to demonstrate the competence and professionalism required by Lowland Rescue, the team or to have the confidence and faith in the team by the PolSAs that we have deservedly earned (but easily lost). More disappointing has been the lack of joint training with the fire service despite a number of presentations and sharing of information on our skills and equipment now within our team ## 3.5.1 Licenced Search Technicians We have gone through the first full year of the revised licensing of Search Technician qualification. We currently have 51 Licensed Search Technicians though some may not have met the minimum criteria by the end of this calendar year and unfortunately will have to be made non-operational pending re-qualifying. ## 3.5.2 Team Leader Ken Dench continued to mentor team leaders and Ian Waters was assessed and fully qualified in April with LR scrutiny (note that Andrew Jarvis also completed his assessment in July this year).. ## 3.5.3 Search Planners Simon Hale completed the LR Search Planner training course in June this year and will be a good addition to search management. He as well as Barry Carter and Ken Dench also completed the LR Advanced Missing Persons Behaviour Course in March. Page 8 of 16 _Trustees’ Annual Report 2024-25_ _Cambridgeshire Search and Rescue_ ## 3.5.4 Incident Commanders This is a new role to LR, and all four of our Search Managers were all qualified by LR in August 2024 and supported by work they had done attending training with the CPLRF. ## 3.5.5 Medical Responder/FREC3/ FREC4 Again we continue to benefit from having 10 trained medics within the team able to administer more advanced pre-hospital care to our mispers/ casualties that we find. It is one of our strengths that I hope we can maintain within our operational team members out on the ground. Last October the Medical Lead was transferred to Alex Ashmore, and he has helped to add more dates and a revised content coverage to make it less of a burden for all team members to keep current and competent. ## 3.6 Updates on the Workgroups ## 3.6.1 Kayak We currently have a total of 8 kayak searchers in the team and kayak training has continued to be looked after well by Gary Tyler. Very useful to be able to hone skills in the Cambridge Parkside Pool during the winter and a dedicated kayak team session was also held in November 2024 at the lake in Waterbeach (another was held on the Broads in September 2025). ## 3.6.2 Drone Our currently two (2) qualified pilots have continued to maintain the flying hours and search skills alongside the police. We upgraded our drones in the year with a DJI Mavic M3T (purchased in August 2024) which required some extra training particularly with the DJI Matrice 4 (purchased in May 2025) which has some superb features and operability. Both give us enhanced thermal imaging performance. In May this year our Drone Observers underwent training by the police, and we now have 10 competent observers able to support the pilots and so improve our flexibility. ## 3.6.3 Bike We currently have 9 bike team members with 1 expression of interest. The 4 search bikes with associated ancillaries are all operational. The bikes were deployed on 3 call outs: Buckden (Jan 25), Hardwick (Apr 25), Grafham Water Day 1 & Day 2 (Jul 25). During these deployments the bikes, and their riders, have been tested over variable and occasionally challenging terrain! ## 3.6.4 K9 Our dog team of now 5 handlers in training have put in a 673 hours to train their dogs, Pip and Oscar (Louise Wyatt), Penny (John Stockwell), Riley (Matt Johnson), Elsie (Brian Gregory) and more recently also Myles and Ronnie (with Outi Seppa). It has been good to see that a number of the team have also supported them by acting as dogsbodies, and Josh Hills has also started to work in the role of a K9 Support. You may remember that the team also forms the provisional team NSARDA Cambridgeshire and as can be seen the training this year has increased dramatically thanks to Brian and Louise (up from 317 hours last year). Weekends away for national training have included North Wales and the Isle of Wight and a joint national training with NSARDA Suffolk. All are making good progress, and we remain hopeful that we have one or two dogs almost ready for assessment in Q1/26. Again, we will get more workgroup updates in a short while from each of the Champions themselves. Page 9 of 16 _Trustees’ Annual Report 2024-25_ _Cambridgeshire Search and Rescue_ Finally, a lot of work has been done to set up the training calendar well in advance for each year, and a new training matrix has been developed and available to all for team members to help manage their own CPD and keep licensed each year. ## 3.7 Outlook It can be seen that we remain in a financially sound position as a charity but that must continue to be managed and monitored as we live in times of change. We must never become complacent and keep vigilant to the issues and challenges around us. The team continues to develop, and we have still not entered into that period of consolidation that I have made mention of before. That said, we have demonstrated that we are flexible and good at evolving and overcoming the difficulties that have come our way from time to time. So, I will again take this my opportunity to record my personal thanks to my fellow Executive Trustees for their continued counsel, support, and diligence in helping to manage the charity (and me) – note that the charity itself will be 20 years old in 2026 which must be worthy of some celebration. Finally, a big thank you to you, all of our team members – operational and non-operational – for the continued support in helping get the team where it is. It is easy to take for granted, but it takes a lot of effort and commitment otherwise the charity will cease to be able to provide its service. Its members continue to give a lot of time in the service of finding the missing and all those being affected. Again, I am quick to also make sure we never forget the sacrifice, support and understanding that our families and friends make for us in allowing us to do what we do. _Barry Carter, Chair, 23 October 2024_ Page 10 of 16 _Trustees’ Annual Report 2024-25_ _Cambridgeshire Search and Rescue_ ## 4 Financial review ## 4.1 Reserves policy CamSAR has a reserves policy which is annexed to this report – see Appendix C. ## 4.2 Independently examined accounts CamSAR’s income during this period was **£119,097** . Expenditure during this period was **£79,761,** including the previously restricted funding of £31,100 towards the RTV. Accounts have been prepared on the receipts-and-payments basis and independently examined. These are annexed to this report, as is the Independent Examiner’s report – see Appendices A and B. ## 5 Declaration The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. _Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:_ |
_Signed on behalf_|
_of the charity’s trustees:_|| |---|---|---| |||| |**Signature(s)**||| |**Full name(s)**|Barry Carter|Ian Woods| |**Position(s)**|Chairperson|Treasurer| |**Date**|15 June 2026|15 June 2026| Page 11 of 16 Combridgeshire Seorch and Rescue Trustees'Annual Report 2024-25 Appendix A Summary of accounts CHARITY COMMISS￿￿ Receipts and payments accounts CC16a Forthe p&rfod 1siJuty2024 To 30tr JUM 2025 Section A Receipts and payments Unr8Xtrittod runds Restrict•d funds EndDwrnent fund5 Tolal funds Lastyoar toth• r￿r•￿tI tDthen•irHI£ A1 Recelpts Lk>WIDn¢and IWJ 4B.124 25WI I,JOI 25,0$1 21JJT 17.$ 882 eNbETrhiplees OLl*inEom Sub tot•llGffOSS incofflè for AR) 118,&41 4J.1J8 A2 Asset and InveBkn¢ntsale6. Isee tab￿1. v•hiCl￿A*s*tsaI• Sub toial 446 446.40 Tot8lrncelpts 43.1 119.097 46.ID6 A3 paym*nt# 1.W6 21,JDI 1S.ED7 A¢minIs￿811￿4llnd wwM£xpBn5 9,221 Sub tolal J2.131 I4￿￿1 and Inve¥tr•nt pu￿has￿. (see tablèl IOA88 47, 41.Ga6 S(tb toi ts7.164 4T, 38,362 Neto1rBc￿Pt￿1Pay￿ents) STrJn5fer8 fu￿$ A6 Cash funds last yearend Cash funds tl)Isyo8fwKI 34,519 5,783 81,564 39,936 38,gQ 5.7B3 101,866 6.089 1D7.954 ,61 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at thè Ènd of thè period Page 12 of 16 Crimbridgeshire Seorch and Rescue Trustees'Annual Report 2024-25 Unr¢strlctsd lund& R•strf¢tsd fvnd• Endowm•nt fund$ CAtsgokl•g Dvtsil¥ ton¢4ro¥l£ to B1 C•$h funds H￿Id In Held Inspw￿5?rC{mlrt 97.J16 rot&l¢a$h funds 103,S43 Unre¥lrictsd fund Endowm•nt funds ton•sr•ii£ 82 Oth?rmon•tary vATi£￿n 9,$21 FunJlowhkh D￿taIlS Fundto¥thkh Covtlopiionw loptknall B4 Assets retained for the charity's own usa Fundto¥Yhkh td B5 Liabilities Sundrypay* 1,87T SvJned by onpoTiwo trusteesofj beh4 Piii)l Name D3leofappioval lan Woods 0SJun82028 Barry Carter 09JunE2026 Page 13 of 16 _Trustees’ Annual Report 2024-25_ _Cambridgeshire Search and Rescue_ Appendix B Independent Examiner’s report Page 14 of 16 Combridgeshire Seorch and Rescue Trustees'Annual Report 2024-25 Section B Disclosure Only Complete il the exatniner nèeds 10 hlghligm matters of con￿rn{See CC32, Inde￿ndent exafflination ofcharity acioJnls" directions and gukI3nce for examiners). Give ￿re brio1 dotalls 01 any items that the xamithor ￿$h￿S trj disclose. WA IER 0¢to￿r 2018 Page 15 of 16 _Trustees’ Annual Report 2024-25_ _Cambridgeshire Search and Rescue_ ## Appendix C Reserves policy ## Purpose The reserves that we have set aside provide financial stability and the means for the development of our principal activity. ## Policy We intend to maintain our reserves at a level which is at least equivalent to the average over 4 years of our annual running operating expenditure (Opex) and the average over 4 years expenditure on capital items (Capex) (replacement of vehicles, drones and other large capital items). For simplicity in these calculations we round results to the nearest £10. ## Summary at end of financial year 2024-25 |Summary at end of financial year 2024-25|| |---|---| |**Element**|**GBP**| |Operating reserve (average spend over last 4 years)|32,670.00| |Capital reserve (average spend over last 4 years)|25,750.00| |Additional reserve elements:|| |•
None currently|0.00| |**Subtotal reserves**|**58,420.00**| |Restricted funds|6,089.00| |**Total**|**64,510.00**| ## Review points The Trustees review reserves required to ensure that they are adequate to fulfil our continuing obligations annually. Page 16 of 16