Volunteer search teams begin 100-mile stretcher relay supporting missing person searches

From Friday 27th March to Sunday 29th March, Surrey Search & Rescue volunteers will be taking on a 100-mile stretcher carry relay across Surrey in 48 hours to raise awareness of the charity’s work and help fund a new Incident Command Unit.

The relay will begin at Devil’s Punch Bowl in Hindhead on Friday lunchtime and finish at Reigate Hill Golf Club on Sunday lunchtime, with eight volunteer teams each taking on a leg of roughly 13 miles across the county.

This is not just a fundraising challenge. It is also a chance to shine a light on Surrey Search & Rescue a response charity that many residents do not realise exists until it is their family member, friend or neighbour who has not come home.

Surrey Search & Rescue is a volunteer emergency response charity on call 24/7/365. We support Surrey Police with high-risk missing person searches and support Surrey Fire & Rescue on water-related incidents. In Surrey alone, around 2,100 people a year are reported missing. When someone is categorised as high risk, our trained volunteers can be deployed at any hour, often in darkness, difficult terrain and challenging conditions, bringing specialist capabilities including search dogs, drones and incident command support.

A key priority for us this year is funding a replacement Incident Command Unit, (ICU). This is the mobile command capability used on searches for planning, mapping, communications, team briefings and welfare on scene. We receive no government funding, so community support is what helps keep this capability available to Surrey residents when it is needed most.

The planned route is:
Start: Devil’s Punch Bowl, Hindhead – Friday 27 March, lunchtime
Finish: Reigate Hill Golf Club – Sunday 29 March, lunchtime

Route legs:
Hindhead to Godalming
Godalming to Holmbury Hill
Holmbury Hill to Leatherhead
Leatherhead to Guildford
Guildford to Wisley
Wisley to Ashtead
Ashtead to Bletchworth
Bletchworth to Reigate Hill

“Most people in Surrey do not realise we exist until it is their loved one, friend or neighbour who has not come home. This challenge is about raising awareness of the work our volunteers do, but also raising funds for the equipment that underpins time-critical searches. Our Incident Command Unit plays a vital role on operations, helping us coordinate searches, manage information and support volunteers on the ground. As a charity, we receive no government funding, so public support really does make a direct difference.” PJ Farr, Head of Income Generation, Surrey Search & Rescue

You can support them here.