## **Trustees' Annual Report for the period** ## **1[st] January 2024 - 31[st] December 2024** ||**SECTION A – Reference and administration details**| |---|---| |**Charity name**|Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team (Tavistock)| |**Registered charity number**|1201527| |**Charity's principal address**|The Rescue Centre
Abbey Rise
Tavistock
PL19 9FD| ## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** |**Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**|**Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**|**Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**|**Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**| |---|---|---|---| ||||| ||**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole year**| |1|Alistair Reid|Chair|| |2|Emily Woodhouse|Secretary|From 1 Apr 24| |3|Rhodri Davey|Team Leader|From 1 Apr 24| |4|Tom Layland|Treasurer|| |5|Paul Johnson|Equipment Officer|| |6|Chris Bunney|Fundraising Officer|To Jun 24| |7|Alex Batson|Fundraising Officer|From Aug 24| |8|Guy Balmer|Training Officer|| |9|Paul Hudson|Team Leader|To 1 Apr 24| |10|Heather Smyly|Secretary|To 1 Apr 24| **SECTION B – Structure. Governance and Management** **Description of the charity’s trusts** **Type of governing document** Constitution adopted Nov 2022 |**How the charity is constituted**|Association consisting of team members and
registered as a CIO| |---|---| |**Trustee selection methods**|Trustees are appointed annually by the members
at the Annual General Meeting in March. All
trustees wishing to continue must retire and be
reappointed on an annual basis.| ## **Additional governance issues** Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team (Tavistock) is formed in association with three other teams on Dartmoor - Ashburton, Plymouth and North Dartmoor. Each is a registered CIO in its own right. It is a member of the Dartmoor Rescue Group, a member of the regional Peninsula Mountain and Cave Rescue Association and one of 48 teams nationally in Mountain Rescue England and Wales. All trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no remuneration or other benefits. ## **SECTION C – Objectives and activities** **Summary of the objects** The objective of the Team is to relieve suffering and distress **of the charity set out in** amongst persons endangered by accidents or natural hazards **its governing document** primarily within moorland areas and to provide arrangements for the secure and efficient search and rescue of any person or persons so endangered and to encourage moorland safety instruction and awareness through all sections of the community. **Summary of the main** Our services are entirely voluntary and in particular demand in **activities undertaken for** situations where weather conditions are poor, the location of a **the public benefit in** missing person is unknown, or where injury or other cause **relation to these objects** makes someone vulnerable to the deterioration of their health.. **(include within this** Team members are highly trained in a variety of skills including **section the statutory** search techniques, navigation, first aid, swift water rescue, **declaration that trustees** rope rescue, radio operation and working with helicopters. **have had regard to the** Individual search teams are coordinated through a team leader **guidance issued by the** who is in constant radio contact with the controller coordinating **Charity Commission on** the search effort. We work closely with the police who initiate **public benefit)** calls to us in situations where our services may be required as well as with the Ambulance service and other emergency response forces. The trustees have complied with their duty to have due regard to the commission's public benefit guidance. ## **SECTION D – Achievements and Performance** |**Summary of the main**
**achievements of the**
**charity during the year**|**Summary of the main**
**achievements of the**
**charity during the year**|| |---|---|---| ||**Summary of the main**
**achievements of the**
**charity during the year**|2024 saw a slight increase in operational activity compared to 2023. In
total the team responded to 44 call outs either on its own or in support
of other teams. As ever the majority of callouts were for casualties with
lower limb injuries. The team also supported the high profile evacuation
of a significant part of Plymouth following the discovery of unexploded
ordinance. The team continued to support significant events in the local
community eg, The 10 Tors, Abbots Way walk.
Turnover of personnel within the team was normal. We lost some
experience but badged 4 of the previous year’s trainee intake. A fifth
will pass once a long term injury has healed. 6 trainees were taken on at
the end of 2024 and all are progressing well. Of particular note was the
change of Team Leader - Paul Hudson handing over the baton after 15
years in charge.
The team completed the purchase and conversion of a new control
vehicle. This was made much more difficult by poor quality
workmanship by the primary contractor. That he subsequently closed
business meant some loss of funding as additional material and
expertise to rectify his errors were required. Much of team time was
spent in making the necessary adjustments. We do finally have a vehicle
that is now fit for purpose. We have reviewed our process for such
projects and will be taking the lessons forward for the replacement of
our aging landrover fleet.
The team continues to be well supported locally and the trustees are
alert to any issues that enhance or potentially detract from our excellent
reputation. Fundraising remains buoyant but there is no cause for
complacency.| ## **SECTION E – Financial review** ||| |---|---| |Brief statement of the
charity's policy on reserves|The charity has a reserve account which is used to build up
the level of funding necessary to ensure the charity's
sustainability and provide funds for long term projects.| |Details of any funds
materially in deficit|None| ## **SECTION F - Declaration** **The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees' report above.** |**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees' report above.**|**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees' report above.**|**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees' report above.**| |---|---|---| |||| |**Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees**||| |**Signatures**||| |**Full Name**|Emily Woodhouse|Tom Layland| |**Position**|Equipment Officer|Treasurer| |**Date**|30thOctober 2025|30thOctober 2025| CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGtAND ANO WAiE Re￿Ipts and payments accounts CC16a oiioin024 To 3111211014 Section A Receipts and payments Fundia Ch•nti*le •rtT*WS Tl Ti•n5fer tw*s 475 4JS ed Sub totallGross intomefor ARI A2 Asset *nd In¥e$th￿ sal￿ Is•e t*￿￿k Sub total Trtol rttelpts 761 ppfficgsts Corre(iw vt br 76 •14b 24.871 35.476 Net of ye￿IPts/(90Yfflr￿I A5 Translers bet*wn fwb A6 Cash fyfids last￿￿Te￿I 67.4 s7.4￿• CCXX R1 *)Jxwrt8 ISSI 0311112025 Section B Statement of a55et5 and liabilities at the end of the period funds BIC•th 39 charfrf$a¥m B5 Llabllil•s Siinedby oneortwotwstees￿ bew olalltheti￿ttÈS Dateof approval CCXX R2 acoxnls ISSI 03n1QD25 ## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF DARTMOOR SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM (TAVISTOCK)** I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team (Tavistock) (the Charity) for the year ended 31 December 2024. ## **Responsibilities and basis of report** As the trustees of the Charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’). I report in respect of my examination of the Charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. ## **Independent examiner’s statement** I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: 1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Mr J P Foxwell FCCA FCIE independent-examiner.net 12 Hillbourne Road, Poole, BH17 7JB Date: 8 November 2025