FEATURE STORY

Sussex Search and Rescue (SusSAR) are a team of volunteers from all walks of life, who come from across East and West Sussex. The Team meet regularly not only to support Sussex Police, to search for vulnerable missing people, but also to train and fundraise in support of the charity.

The onset of Covid 19 has undermined SusSAR’s operational capability and threatened its financial survival at a time when the demand for our services has never been higher. The impact of Covid 19 on people’s mental health has seen our callouts spike while our numbers have been reduced by the need to self-isolate and shield, funding from our traditional sources has been cut and face to face training has been compromised.

On top of all this the Team has taken on new roles in support of the NHS and Department of Education. The team also stepped up during the start of the pandemic, delivering over a million items of PPE and over 500 laptops throughout Sussex, with members driving hundreds of miles to assist local authorities and the NHS. We are now on stand-by to support the roll out of the vaccination programme. We are very proud of the hard work and selfless commitment of our fantastic volunteers.

We are 100% funded by either fundraising activities or the generosity of donations. During a ‘normal’ year we would typically raise funds by offering our services as marshals for various events across Sussex. We also participate in various presentations and talks. So far every single event we would ordinarily participate in since March 2020 has been cancelled.

Almost all charities are feeling the pinch and we understand many people already  have their chosen charities that they contribute to. However if you feel that Sussex Search and Rescue is something you could support we are always grateful for any financial support we receive however small it may be.

You can donate by going to our JustGiving page or alternatively we have our own Wish List on Amazon where you may be surprised by some of the items we request.