£1,000 donation to SARAID Search & Rescue Charity.

Rob Davis, Crisis, Disaster and Risk Specialist and SARAID Team Leader gave a fascinating talk to the Lodge during the evening of Wednesday 15 November following the regular meeting. After his talk the Worshipful Master Alastair Slade was pleased to present Rob with a cheque for £1,000, after which Rob enjoyed the Festive Board.

Based in Yate, SARAID. is a Non-Government Organisation (NGO) and Registered Charity comprised of Search and Rescue Volunteers, each of whom has specific professional skills and are available to be immediately deployed every day of the year to natural disasters anywhere in the world. It is the only UK voluntary team to be officially classified by the United Nations (UN) and abides by its rules and regulations. Mobilisation has to be agreed either with the UN or the government of the affected country. The team takes with them more than two tons of equipment, usually flying with commercial airlines, who occasionally waive the baggage fees, or with the RAF if flights are available.

The most recent deployment was in February 2023 to the earthquake in Turkey. There SARAID coordinated all the rescue teams arriving at the airport from around the world, as well as deploying their own personnel who carried out many life-saving rescues One notable rescue was of a mother and son who had been buried under a collapsed tower block for three days with the danger of a further collapse. When found the mother insisted her son be rescued first; unfortunately, her husband did not survive.

SARAID currently not being insured to enter a war zone, Rob, accompanied by a few colleagues volunteered to go to Ukraine for three months to train emergency personnel in search and rescue techniques. Whilst there he experienced life in a war zone such as frequent air raids and saw many results of the conflict.