Berkshire Lowland Search and Rescue Trustees Annual Report 2025
This is the annual report from the Trustees of Berkshire Lowland Search and Rescue for 2025.
Berkshire Lowland Search and Rescue is a group of approximately 80 volunteers who are trained to be able to support Thames Valley Police (TVP) in searching for high risk, vulnerable missing people who have been reported to the police. This service is available free of charge to the police, and is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Whilst most of our members are operational searchers, as identified below some of our volunteers conduct important support roles. In addition to supporting TVP the team also provide support to Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) in water rescue and providing drone capability at the scene of major incidents. In addition to these services the team are also able to provide support to Local Authorities and other statutory bodies such as the NHS.
The team currently have 99 members and in 2025 attended 43 incidents, and were involved in 145 events. Of these incidents there were 30 call outs.
Since becoming a CIO, the Trustees have ensured that the team operates on a secure bedrock of policies and practices in order to carry out their responsibilities. This is still work in progress as the Trustees continue to be involved with providing strategic oversight to the running of the team. The Trustees can report that for the financial year 1[st] April 2024 to 31[st] March 2025 the team is in a firm financial position with the team employing recognised practices to manage the team finances and to identify any challenges to this position.
Income for the team came from a variety of sources during 2025. These funding streams consist of grants, donations and money raised for services provided by the team such as medical and stewarding services. The majority of the money raised is spent on the operational costs of running the team. Extra income is spent on replacing, or enhancing existing equipment used by the team such as a mega-sled used for flood rescue and better equipped drones.
The most significant objective for the Trustees during this year has been recruitment to the Leadership Team. The Trustees are responsible for the process of identifying, and nominating to the membership suitable individuals to take up lead roles on the Leadership Team (LT), which manages the day-to-day operational running of the team. Early in the year at a Strategy Day it was identified that the vacancies on the LT were hampering the team’s ability to carry out basic functions. Trustees visited several Volunteer Fairs and were able to recruit suitable volunteers to fill the identified roles. Importantly these individuals were recruited for their professional knowledge and experience, and not as operational searchers. This allowed the Trustees to make strategic appointments to roles such as Business Support,
PR and Marketing, Membership (HR) and a Project Officer. As a result, there are now no vacancies on the LT and this is already producing results.
Another significant objective for the Trustees has been progressing a new base for the team to operate from. The team has a fleet of vehicles and trailers, along with associated equipment which all requires secure storage. For the last few years, the team have been using premises owned by a Local Authority. We have now been informed that we need to move on and a new base identified. To give this project the urgency it requires a Trustee is now leading the search assisted by the Project Officer. They regularly report to the Trustees and LT regarding progress. Financially the team have significant reserves built up to offset major expenses related to a new base. This project is now making progress and the team should be housed in a new base later in 2026.
ND Berkshire Lowland Search & Rescue (BLSAR) Toutley Depot, Forest Road, Wokin8ham, Berkshire, RG40 5QP treasurer@BerkshireRescue.org.uk www.BerkshireRescue.org.uk Tel: 03 3210384 ACCOUNTS FOR THE 12-MONTH PERIOD I APRIL 2024- 31 MARCH 2025 Charity No: 1202260
Section A Receipts and payments (12 months) Unrostrictsd funds to tho noart End1mont fiTrnd$ 12 month èndod 3110312024 P•lthd fvnds Tolal funds to lh• n••rn#£ to the Mar•st £ b) tho nèarèst£ to tho noaroat £ A1 P•coipts Training Cw5es and ETrth %e5 Grant$ 8ThY Donat¥Jn5 &243 4321 29,924 Merchandise and Eouipmert Sas Team tEl[n15Mets 1541 1541 1,013 Mr ofchallties otr income 132,341 826 Sub k)181IGross ItrAR) 173.017 A2 A••èt ind invethènt tkbl•l. Tol&TJxeipts 173,017 A3 Paym8nts Ep8rtmenlal 0perdtS except FLYlrai51r>J Fleet upka8p Tr81ThW InsLrancÈ & Affiliation 1{974 &263 18,125 3,239 1712 712 9.722 3,455 6,635 +4) Costs MiselAdmin 140 Cost of Courses aTM Et SeNces Fundraising C0518 75 75 109 tyl 41939 31,743 A4 kntand In1#t pur¢has 1g)o iabl•l 4.858 Sub &7 z£a£ Tola1pan8Trtr 36.ÉOt 11, 13V1 AO TrnnaTe¥S funos A6 Cath I¥•tar en ¢a fundsthtsywwd 131,1 14416 147,1 136,41
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the 12m period Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Categories Detsils funds funds funds to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ 81 Cash funds Curtentkn(MJnts 11918 131202 1,146 Paypal Cash 959 Total cash fun(ts 147.135 Unrestricted funds to nearest £ 1,146 Restricted funds to nearest £ Endowment funds to nearest £ B2 Other monetsry assets Details Unclained VAT feb8le B3 Investment assets Fund to thich asset belon Cost loptior411 Current value tional Details NIA B4 Assets retained for the charity's own use Fund to Ththith asset bÈlon unrestn.cb Unrestricbj Current value tlonal 2,697 399 Details Land SA9 EqpIlleI edal Equryjmenl e9 defjbrfLa C05t loptlonall Watef SAR Equipment Sonar- kljmm1n"rd Unrestricted 479 42. It)On8 FourKlation Kknilyne FuThJ 2019 1,292 Water Resc Veh and b)al traIr 1.173 Ur¥t 23,264 B5 Llabilities Fund to Ithtch relates knunt due onall 11kn8n du8 tional Detalls
*The restrirtod f unds relate to.. Openin% Balance ReCepd Spent Closing Balance 3.. Nurture Holding5- Equipment 4.. 8erkshire Community Foundation- Mbs 5.. Baylis Trust E 2.408.36 E 3.CW.00 1.262.78 £ 3,000.00 E 1,000.00 1,145.S8 £ i.000.00 Total £ 5,408.36 £ i,ooo.og £ 5,262.78 1,145.58 Signed by the treasurer and one trustee on behalt of all the trustees Signature Print Name Nick McLean Date Approved Samantha Wild 361011?
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts aection A Independent Examinees Report ' Report to the trusteesl members of Berkshire Lowland Search and Rescue CIO On acGounts for the year ended 31 March 2025 Charity no (if any) 1202260 Set out on pages I report lo the trustees on my examination of the aGGount5 of the above charity (°the Trust.) for the year ended 3110312025. Responsibllities and As the charity trustees of the CIO, you are responsible for the preparation of basls of report the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 {'the Acr). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in Garying out my examination. I have followed the appliGable Directions given by the Charity Gommission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have Gome lo my attention in GonneGtion with the examination whiGh gives me cause to believe that in. any matertal respect: accounting records were not kept in accordance with seclion 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records Independent examiner's statement I have no ¢oncems and have come across no other matters in Connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the aGcounts to be reached. Slgned: Date: 20/112 Name: Relevant professional qualification(sl or body lif any): d. Address: IER October 2018
Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern {see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts.. directions and guidance for examiners). Give here brief detalls of any items that the gxaminerwishes to disclose. IER October 2018
ND Berkshire Lowland Search & Rescue (BLSAR) Toutley Depot, Forest Road, Wokin8ham, Berkshire, RG40 5QP treasurer@BerkshireRescue.org.uk www.BerkshireRescue.org.uk Tel: 03 3210384 ACCOUNTS FOR THE 12-MONTH PERIOD I APRIL 2024- 31 MARCH 2025 Charity No: 1202260
Section A Receipts and payments (12 months) Unrostrictsd funds to tho noart End1mont fiTrnd$ 12 month èndod 3110312024 P•lthd fvnds Tolal funds to lh• n••rn#£ to the Mar•st £ b) tho nèarèst£ to tho noaroat £ A1 P•coipts Training Cw5es and ETrth %e5 Grant$ 8ThY Donat¥Jn5 &243 4321 29,924 Merchandise and Eouipmert Sas Team tEl[n15Mets 1541 1541 1,013 Mr ofchallties otr income 132,341 826 Sub k)181IGross ItrAR) 173.017 A2 A••èt ind invethènt tkbl•l. Tol&TJxeipts 173,017 A3 Paym8nts Ep8rtmenlal 0perdtS except FLYlrai51r>J Fleet upka8p Tr81ThW InsLrancÈ & Affiliation 1{974 &263 18,125 3,239 1712 712 9.722 3,455 6,635 +4) Costs MiselAdmin 140 Cost of Courses aTM Et SeNces Fundraising C0518 75 75 109 tyl 41939 31,743 A4 kntand In1#t pur¢has 1g)o iabl•l 4.858 Sub &7 z£a£ Tola1pan8Trtr 36.ÉOt 11, 13V1 AO TrnnaTe¥S funos A6 Cath I¥•tar en ¢a fundsthtsywwd 131,1 14416 147,1 136,41
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the 12m period Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Categories Detsils funds funds funds to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ 81 Cash funds Curtentkn(MJnts 11918 131202 1,146 Paypal Cash 959 Total cash fun(ts 147.135 Unrestricted funds to nearest £ 1,146 Restricted funds to nearest £ Endowment funds to nearest £ B2 Other monetsry assets Details Unclained VAT feb8le B3 Investment assets Fund to thich asset belon Cost loptior411 Current value tional Details NIA B4 Assets retained for the charity's own use Fund to Ththith asset bÈlon unrestn.cb Unrestricbj Current value tlonal 2,697 399 Details Land SA9 EqpIlleI edal Equryjmenl e9 defjbrfLa C05t loptlonall Watef SAR Equipment Sonar- kljmm1n"rd Unrestricted 479 42. It)On8 FourKlation Kknilyne FuThJ 2019 1,292 Water Resc Veh and b)al traIr 1.173 Ur¥t 23,264 B5 Llabilities Fund to Ithtch relates knunt due onall 11kn8n du8 tional Detalls
*The restrirtod f unds relate to.. Openin% Balance ReCepd Spent Closing Balance 3.. Nurture Holding5- Equipment 4.. 8erkshire Community Foundation- Mbs 5.. Baylis Trust E 2.408.36 E 3.CW.00 1.262.78 £ 3,000.00 E 1,000.00 1,145.S8 £ i.000.00 Total £ 5,408.36 £ i,ooo.og £ 5,262.78 1,145.58 Signed by the treasurer and one trustee on behalt of all the trustees Signature Print Name Nick McLean Date Approved Samantha Wild 361011?
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts aection A Independent Examinees Report ' Report to the trusteesl members of Berkshire Lowland Search and Rescue CIO On acGounts for the year ended 31 March 2025 Charity no (if any) 1202260 Set out on pages I report lo the trustees on my examination of the aGGount5 of the above charity (°the Trust.) for the year ended 3110312025. Responsibllities and As the charity trustees of the CIO, you are responsible for the preparation of basls of report the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 {'the Acr). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in Garying out my examination. I have followed the appliGable Directions given by the Charity Gommission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have Gome lo my attention in GonneGtion with the examination whiGh gives me cause to believe that in. any matertal respect: accounting records were not kept in accordance with seclion 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records Independent examiner's statement I have no ¢oncems and have come across no other matters in Connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the aGcounts to be reached. Slgned: Date: 20/112 Name: Relevant professional qualification(sl or body lif any): d. Address: IER October 2018
Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern {see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts.. directions and guidance for examiners). Give here brief detalls of any items that the gxaminerwishes to disclose. IER October 2018