## **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
End1￿mont
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 Sa*s
Team tEl[n￿15Me￿ts
1541
1541
1,013
M￿r ofchallties
ot￿r income
132,341
826
Sub k)181IGross ItrAR)
173.017
A2 A••èt ind invethènt
tkbl•l.
Tol&TJxeipts
173,017
A3 Paym8nts
E*p8rtmenlal 0perdt￿S except FLY*lrai51r>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* E￿t SeNces
Fundraising C0518
75
75
109
tyl*
41939
31,743
A4 kntand In￿￿1#￿t pur¢ha*s 1g)o iabl•l
4.858
Sub &7
z£a£
Tola1pa￿n8Trtr
36.ÉOt
11,
13V1
AO TrnnaTe¥S funos
A6 Cath I¥•t￿ar 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 Eq￿pIlle￿I
￿ed￿al 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
traI￿r
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
ReCep￿d
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
End1￿mont
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 Sa*s
Team tEl[n￿15Me￿ts
1541
1541
1,013
M￿r ofchallties
ot￿r income
132,341
826
Sub k)181IGross ItrAR)
173.017
A2 A••èt ind invethènt
tkbl•l.
Tol&TJxeipts
173,017
A3 Paym8nts
E*p8rtmenlal 0perdt￿S except FLY*lrai51r>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* E￿t SeNces
Fundraising C0518
75
75
109
tyl*
41939
31,743
A4 kntand In￿￿1#￿t pur¢ha*s 1g)o iabl•l
4.858
Sub &7
z£a£
Tola1pa￿n8Trtr
36.ÉOt
11,
13V1
AO TrnnaTe¥S funos
A6 Cath I¥•t￿ar 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 Eq￿pIlle￿I
￿ed￿al 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
traI￿r
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
ReCep￿d
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