Aim

To increase the flood rescue capability of our team to help provide community assistance and rescue during times of flooding.

As a team of volunteers we currently have 10 new recruits who are about to embark on their training with the team and to allow this to happen it is vital that we are able to fund the equipment and training required. 

As with all charities, we have seen all our fundraising activities cancelled this year. Without funding we are unable to train our latest recruits ready for the winter flooding and to search for missing people. 

WUKSART is a voluntary search & rescue organisation and registered charity based in the East Midlands. Our purpose is to provide response and operational support to the Fire Service, Police and other blue light services.

Our charitable objectives state we exist for public benefit, to relieve suffering and distress amongst persons endangered by flooding or natural hazards. WUKSART specialises in the following;-

•    Responding nationally to flooding
•    Water rescue incidents within the East Midlands and Nationally.
•    Local & widespread flooding.
•    Searches for missing and vulnerable people.
•    Provide support during times of adverse weather conditions.
•    Provide support at water related incidents when required.
•    Powerboat rescue operations.
•     Flood support to local communities including flood evacuation.

With skills in search & rescue, water & flood rescue, rope rescue and advanced medical care WUKSART always aims to deliver a fast, dynamic and professional team.

WUKSART was originally established in response to the National Flood Enhancement Project led by the Department of the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in 2009. This Government led project was designed to officially collate all the water rescue assets around the United kingdom and type them against National standards with the aim that when National widespread flooding takes place these assets can be called upon.

Our purpose and aim is to provide response and support to the official Emergency Services in a range of situations, including water rescues, flood relief and support during times of adverse weather conditions, natural disaster or civil emergency, searches for missing people and be able to provide support at incidents as required.

We want to share our dedication for providing the best possible care to the people and the communities in which we live, work and play. To this end all our team members are all professionals sharing a passion for saving lives.

Over the last year the team have been called out 16 times which included flooding such as Whaley Bridge and South Yorkshire and a number of missing person searches, with the volunteers giving over 800 hours plus training. 

We can provide a team of volunteers who have the required skills, experience and local knowledge, as well as the necessary equipment and communications facilities, to be able to be of genuine assistance to the paid Emergency Services. We will provide this service at any time of the day or night, without charge, in any situation where one of the official Emergency Services or other approved organisations decides that their efforts would benefit from the support we can offer.

As any voluntary rescue team people come and go over time and currently WUKSART has 32 operational team members. We also have 10 new trainees waiting to commence with their initial training.

We are on standby for National deployment for flood response around the United Kingdom.

It costs the team £3250 to equip and train a new member. We currently have 10 new recruits and with your help they will be able to start their training to then go on to being fully operational and respond to flooding both locally and nationally and be on call to respond to missing and vulnerable people.  

This project closed unsuccessfully on 7th October 2020