AGM Report 2023-2024 (UK Registered Charity No.1199047) Search and Rescue Assistance in Disasters Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Charity number: 1199047) (CIO - ASSOCIATION Registered 23 May 2022) Trustees’ Annual Report, and Financial Statement 2023 - 2024 Page **1** of **11** AGM Report 2023-2024 (UK Registered Charity No.1199047) ## **Trustees** Mrs. Michelle Woodmore Miss. Carrie Woodward Miss. Eleuthera du Breuil Mr. Kris Hurley (Joined May 2023) Mr. Tim Cooper (joined May 2023) Mr. Stefan Hopkins (Joined May 2023) Mr. Rob Croton (resigned December 2023) ## **Executive Committee** Mr. Gary Francis ~ Executive Director & Chair Mr. Mark Scorer ~ Operations Director Mr. Steve Jeffery ~ Deputy Operations Director Mr. Sam Joseph ~ Secretary Mr. David Pickup ~ Treasurer Mr. Will Selley ~ Medical Manager (incumbent) Miss. Suzie Cooper ~ Structural Engineering Manager Miss. Emily Warburton-Brown ~ Strategy & Compliance Miss. Jen Durie ~ member without portfolio Website: https://www.saraid.org UK Registered Addresses: SARAID International Response Team (USAR), The Fire Station, Station Road, Yate, BS37 4AL Page **2** of **11** AGM Report 2023-2024 (UK Registered Charity No.1199047) The Trustees presents their annual report together with the financial statements of Search and Rescue Assistance in Disasters (“SARAID”) for the year ended 31st May 2024. The Board of Trustees confirm that the annual report and financial statements of the charity comply with the current statutory requirements, the requirements of the charity’s governing document and the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP), applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) (effective 1 January 2015). Page **3** of **11** AGM Report 2023-2024 (UK Registered Charity No.1199047) ## **Statement from the Trustees** On behalf of the board of trustees, we would like to thank the entire membership for their continued support this year but in particular the Executive Committee, with whom we have been working to deliver further improvements within the organization, some of which we will cover below. These improvements do not come without the commitment, effort and time spent by those involved and we thank those people for that commitment, effort and time. This past year has been one of consolidation for SARAID. Following our UN INSARAG Light USAR Team Classification in September 2022 and our deployment to Turkey in February 2023, this last year has been used to consolidate our training and management processes, working towards establishing a fuller Safe System Of Work. (SSOW). Our recruitment, training and development cycle has also got back into full swing. A lot of work, behind the scenes, has gone into creating a SSOW across our training and exercise activities. This will enable us to have the evidence to demonstrate that the training and way we operate are not only effective but are also as safe as practicable. It is still a work in progress, but we are much closer thanks to the hard work of the Operations and Training teams and other members. The work will continue throughout the current training cycle and whilst we have not stopped or delayed any planned training events, the work in parallel provides the evidential records we need to demonstrate both effective and safe training and exercises. The trustees continue to implement the new constitution which rightly separates accountability and responsibility. The day-to-day running of SARAID rests with the Executive Committee but overall accountability rests with the board of trustees. We aim to provide oversight and ensure good governance whilst allowing the Executive Committee the room to plan and execute events to deliver SARAID’s mission. Where we have needed to come together, to improve some aspect, we have done so but we recognise this puts pressure on those members of the Executive Committee and we do not do so lightly. This coming year we hope to conclude establishing the SSOW but also complete the formal delegation document that will see the Trustees’ delegate defined powers to the Executive Committee. A draft was started this year, but more work is needed to get the balance and detail right. Ultimately the board of trustees are here to safeguard the future of SARAID for all its members, so in the spirit of openness please contact us with any thoughts, feelings or questions you may have and we will do our best to answer them, providing context and background as necessary. Page **4** of **11** AGM Report 2023-2024 (UK Registered Charity No.1199047) ## **Statement from the Executive Committee Chair** The past 12 months have been another whirlwind time for the organisation. SARAID continues to be a victim of its own success, with its professional standing within the UN INSARAG and the wider international USAR community remaining high and very well respected, this is evident having had team members sitting on the Medical Working Group, Light Team Working Group, DACC Flexible Working Group and most recently taking a seat on the Flood Response Working Group. We also have a team member who was selected as Light USAR Team IEC Classifier for the Cyprus Civil Defence exercise, (with more on waiting list, just dependent on Light Team IEC exercises), as well as being officially approached to provide a Mentor to oversee their IEC classification process by the Central Buda Volunteer Civil Protection Association (OPVE Hungary) and a tentative request from @Fire Germany for a Mentor for their IER exercise. Our working relationship with the Foreign & Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) and UK ISAR is also the best it has been for a number of years, with three team members requested to be part of the exercise support team for UK ISAR’s IER exercise in Switzerland. The management will continue this rapport and build on this productive and effective relationship. The organisation continues to fully support INSARAG with team members attending Team Leaders & Working Group meetings in Singapore (2023) and Brazil (2024), AEME Regional Meeting in Doha and the INSARAG Steering Group Meeting (ISG) in Geneva. As we all know with all success stories there are always a few holes, and as we strive for professionalism and to maintain our high standards, we Identified a few gaps in our administrative processes. This was mainly not having a complete set of documentation such as policies or SOPs for things we were doing naturally on a daily basis. The introduction of the Safe System of Work (SSOW) will fill these cracks both in training and operationally and make us more accountable. ## **Looking ahead – the next 12 months** I am currently in the process of putting together a business plan for the next 2 years and was hoping to have it ready to present at this year’s AGM but alas time wasn’t on my side. So, looking ahead for the next 12 months I think there are 4 key areas we should focus on; they are Members, Finance, Resources and Training. Page **5** of **11** AGM Report 2023-2024 (UK Registered Charity No.1199047) Membership continues to be steady, with new recruitment currently in full flow and two planned Selection Weekends in October and November with 20 potential recruits on each. We also have around 200 people on a waiting list. Our only restriction on the number of recruits we take each year is the physical ability to train them afterwards , this will hopefully be made slightly easier with the introduction of an **Enhanced Membership Fast Track to Operational Status Policy** , which will allow for expediting the membership process for individuals with relevant skills and experience, ensuring the efficient integration of qualified candidates into operational technicians' roles within the Light Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team. This policy aims to enhance the team's capabilities, resilience and response readiness. Recruitment of medics is currently on hold until our new **Medical Standards of Competency Policy** is finally signed off, which should be in the next few months. We do, however, have a number of doctors going through the current round of recruitment and selection. Hopefully this would allow for a future Medical Director role to be introduced. As the Treasurers report shows our current available funds remain healthy, but all members must remember that they have a commitment towards fundraising and by introduction of individual annual fundraising target of £200 per annum, this is realistic, achievable and measurable. I also feel that Corporate Sponsorship is the way forward for long-term financial support and will look at setting up a small Working Group to target this as well as fundraising grants. Due to the hard work put in by our Equipment Store Manager and the equipment team our operational equipment cache is ready to go, with a few items just needing purchasing. The only items that need looking into as a matter of urgency is new Satellite Communications equipment. Also, we must consider that at any time Avon FRS may ask us to vacate our current store at Yate Fire Station, so as a Plan B contingency we will need to start looking at suitable replacement venues. The Training & Development Manager and training team must be commended for the consistent high standard of training over the past 12 months, which in turn has resulted in high monthly attendance. It should also be recognised the hard work that has been put in to developing new training programs both for operational team members and trainee cohort alongside implementing the new SSOW. The foundations have been set and the next 12 months will see this continue to grow although it is recognised that this is very much a longterm project with SOPs, training lesson plans and risk assessments needing to be written. This is a project for the whole membership to be involved in not just the training team Page **6** of **11** AGM Report 2023-2024 (UK Registered Charity No.1199047) ## **Objectives for the year 2024-2025** ## **Membership** 1. Recruitment of a minimum of 2 qualified doctors 2. Recruitment of a minimum of 6 USAR and BoO Medics 3. Introduction of questionnaire for all members who leave the organisation 4. IT Manager role: if a suitably qualified member or volunteer for this role cannot be found, then we may need to investigate paying an individual/company to cover this role. ## **Finance** 5. Raising funds for the organisation, ensuring the ongoing operational readiness of SARAID and team development through effective training opportunities and suitable equipment. With an increased team size and to ensure the capacity for 2 international deployments a year, this will equate to £40k per annum. 6. The introduction of a member’s annual personal fundraising target of £200 per annum, this could potentially raise around £10k per annum and could be used towards covering insurance costs. 7. Corporate Sponsorship: work towards establishing obtaining long term financial support ## **Resources** 8. Purchase of replacement satellite communication equipment as safety critical equipment 9. Identification of a suitable replacement equipment store location, just as a ‘Plan B’ contingency ## **Training** 10. Developing a standardised training schedule alongside SSOW, and introduction of revised 12-month training program for operational members & 24-month program for trainee cohort. 11. Training to cover all aspects of urban search and rescue, particularly those elements set out within the INSARAG guidelines. Focus on the training and maintenance of a team of 60 operational team members 12. Developing and introduction of a medic training program Page **7** of **11** AGM Report 2023-2024 (UK Registered Charity No.1199047) 13. Identifying the best way forward in relation to qualified/competent training instructors. There are 2 other areas that I would like to add the first being a review of the structure of the Executive Committee, the current one was put in place at the formation of CIO based on advice from the Charity Commission, I feel that now it is time to review this to see if still fit for purpose, and the second is an annual review of all policy documents and standard operating procedures. ## **Gary Francis ~ Executive Director** Page **8** of **11** AGM Report 2023-2024 (UK Registered Charity No.1199047) ## **Operations Director (Mark Scorer)** From my perspective, I believe the last 12-month period has been one of consolidation and foundation building. I was fortunate to take on this role with the Charity in probably the strongest position it has ever been in, after the well-deserved success of IEC Light Classification and continued dedication of our members to play a significant role in the Türkiye Earthquake response; there was a time of reflection needed. The team had given an unbelievable amount over the previous year, and you cannot sprint a marathon no matter who you are. To use a mountaineering analogy, I have seen this period akin to stocking up our ‘high camp’ ready for the next summit attempt. This has been done across all aspects of our operations from training to equipment to recruitment, whilst also making a significant contribution to the INSARAG working groups. The new membership intake this year has provided great enthusiasm, appetite to learn and willingness to get involved. The hard yards have been done progressing the Safe System of Work architecture, developing a more comprehensive range of policy documents and standard operating procedures, and consolidating our SharePoint site and information management structure. Now nearing completion, this work will enable the Charity to continue to grow and provides resilience in our processes and procedures. Despite there not having been a deployment over the last year, when you look at what SARAID members have managed to achieve, it is pretty impressive! From joint training with @Fire in Germany and France; INSARAG Working Group meetings in Qatar and Brazil; UCC Training in Turkey; and observing UKISAR IER in Switzerland and search dog assessments in Ireland, the Charity is recognised globally. Special thanks for Mr Steve Jefferey for his support and all the contributors to this report. Please take the time to read it, as it will give you insight into just how much effort people are putting in to make this Charity the success it is. ## **Treasurer (David Pickup)** See separate report and financial statement, CC16a below. ## **Equipment Stores Manager (Sarah Pickup)** Past Year: - The year started with reorganising and restocking team kit following the deployment to Turkey. Page **9** of **11** AGM Report 2023-2024 (UK Registered Charity No.1199047) - Following the Turkey deployment, we were donated an upgraded FL360 search camera by First Look 360 in Canada, this was by agreement that we would donate our old one to AKUT in Turkey, this was facilitated through Belit. - We have been donated 30 new radios by Radio Comms – this was following a contact we made at the Emergency Services show – this will now give us the ability to replace all of the team radios that are quite old and showing signs of wear and tear, and it will also give us a good bank of spares. - Working group started looking at Rescue kit to see areas we need to improve, currently 1 proposals has been approved to upgrade our Lifting & moving kit - this includes a Tirfor winch and jacking capability – thanks to Dave Jones for his work on this proposal. - A new training aid has been built for use with the 360 Search camera – thanks to John Bluett for his work on this. - Updated deployment information held in stores to streamline and make easier for team to follow if a situation arises that one of the equipment team is not available for a deployment. - Tested new lighting received for trial from Makita – a couple of items have proved to be beneficial to us for both deployment and training and am waiting on these being delivered from Makita to add to our loan equipment pool. - The team has been donated 2 new Wifi hubs – from a charity called Jangala. These are for use in both deployment and training – thanks to Kris Hurley for facilitating this. We are waiting to test these and hope to also be provided with some data so that they are free for us to use. - New Live medical kit for team use on training weekends – thanks to the medical team for this. - All team kit Software upgraded on a regular basis to make sure we are operationally ready - Temporary repair to equipment store as ongoing problem with leaking roof. Working with AFRS to get a permanent fix. - All team and personal tents have been put up checked and packed away ready to go - All generators have been serviced - All Makita tools have been back to Makita for full check and service - All other team kit checked for operational readiness. - LOLER testing for all lifting, moving and rope work equipment - New bags purchased for rations and water so better prepared for deployment. - 2023 new intake issued full set of basic PPE ready for training. - Ops assessment 2023 ran smoothly and was a good test of our equipment. - Team members that passed operational assessment issued with deployment kit: new helmet, base bag and day bag. Page **10** of **11** AGM Report 2023-2024 (UK Registered Charity No.1199047) Upcoming year: - Continue working on Rescue kit areas of improvement – the next proposal to go to committee is to upgrade our Rope Rescue equipment – thank you to Phil Ball for his help in this area, we need new harnesses and fall arrest devices as these are coming to the end of their lives, and once the new Standard Operating Procedure has been finalised we will need some new equipment to be able to fulfil this. - Areas to be looked at in the coming year: - Satellite comms - Generators - IT capabilities when out on a work site - Electronic equipment check method for team kit in boxes - Upgraded Delsar capability - Welfare equipment inc. nutritional value of deployment food - Deployment kit lists for different sized teams – FACT team, Coordination team etc.. - Work with AFRS to get roof of stores fixed and to get plans for 2[nd] storey build approved and plan in work with qualified team members - Work with Fundraising manager to get fundraising items updated Thanks to the rest of the Equipment team – Paul Incledon, John Bluett, Dave Jones, Sam Joseph & Alex Werren, for all of their help over the year with all thing’s equipment related, and to the rest of the team who step up when help is needed. Should the call come we are ready to deploy. Page **11** of **11** AGM Report 2023-2024 (UK Registered Charty No.1199047) (HARIIV (OMMISSIO FOR EtqGLAND AND WALES OIWTERS Recei ts and Onts accounts CC16a Section A Receipts and payments Ilnr•strkt•d R•stilcl•d Endo¥¥m•nt TO1￿ fundB Al R•c•l Ti lee 2.1•4 Sub tot•llGw lor Ri *•• tabl• rot•l e•¢ 11•2 Ti IJJJ l*oF• J.•bl 3n F"•idp 174 SLé* 2•J48 Il•1 olrn¢•iplWlp•ym*rf•) AS Tr•Ml•rn b•lw••n A6 C•sh thJnd8 lut >*•r •nd C•sh fund* yw •nd 3•.71 J•.71 60,11NJ 10,92S 10.925 CCXX Rl Kf4¥*1S91 22111fxJ24 Page 12of11 AGM Report 2023-2024 (UK Registered Charty No.1199047) Secllon B Statement ol assets and Ilabilities at the end of the perlod R••tri¢i•d lurbd• Endowm•m Jnd• B1 Cmh fvnd• 1•1n• i••.n• fvnd fund• 83 Ith••tm•rt u••t• 84 A•uts r•t•ln•d lor th• ¢hwlty• own u BS Ll•bWttI CCXX P2 ?¢wnissi 2¥11ts)24 Page 130111