AIBU to be stunned that this service is entirely run by volunteers?

[crosspelican]

I was at a presentation this week given by Oxfordshire Lowland Search & Rescue - it turns out that when people go missing, the police don't always actually go out & look themselves, they call organisations like this, in particular if it's your granny with dementia, or a teen who intends to commit suicide. These people can be out looking within 20 minutes, but of course when they find the person (or their body) it doesn't get the press those twats on Ben Nevis got, because nobody is going to tell the local press delightedly that their suicidal teen has been found safe and well and is thrilled to be going back to school tomorrow.

They said that the difference with their callouts is that the person often doesn't know they are lost (dementia) or doesn't want to be found (suicidal).

They're all volunteers, their equipment (vehicles etc) is all donated. They're not the first port of call for ALL missing people - they had 70 callouts in Oxfordshire last year, but I am really surprised that this is not fully funded by the police, because surely they are a branch of the police?

oxsar.org.uk/what-we-do/

Is there anything that you were surprised to find out is NOT funded by taxpayers?

@Mintjulia my DH is with Wilsar

it turns out that when people go missing, the police don't always actually go out & look themselves, they call organisations like this, in particular if it's your granny with dementia,

Yesterday when I was doing my shopping then there were 5 police cars (at least 2 arrived with lights going) and the police helicopter out looking for an old lady with dementia who had disappeared from the shops.

just there are paid gardeners and people looking after NT properties - I world for them in a paid capacity years ago. Usually it's the guides who are volunteers.

Worked not world!

Calling 999 round here is a nightmare as postcodes cover such a huge area and services aren't based here anymore. It can indeed be difficult to phone 999. I rang once after seeing what I thought was someone drowning at sea and they wanted a bloody postcode AND grid reference as if I'd know either!. Luckily it turned out to be a false alarm but it was terrifying.

Then there was the man who collapsed in front of me, and I didn't have the postcode (was visiting a village but and name of place and landmarks) so was told to "look it up and phone back as they're busy" remembering what a paramedic as told me I hurled abuse at them and they found me just fine - both police and ambulance. I wasn't arrested after it was explained why.

Hey @shosha1. Hi to chilly Wiltshire

The Ben Nevis mrt posted after the recent incident saying they want to remain a voluntary organisation. That if they were paid the changes to the running, structure, governance, etc would be awful.

I’ll tell you what’s surprised me, the amount of volunteer police support staff. Our local force website is always advertising for all sorts of volunteer positions.

Anyone got a burning desire to work full time, unpaid washing the police cars? How about manning the reception desk at the police station on a voluntary basis? If not you can always spend your days unpaid logging crimes on a database!

I know there’s cutbacks but these jobs used to be paid rather than not paid. No wonder some people struggle to find jobs!

I know a semi-retired solicitor who volunteers at the CAB two half-days a week. A lot of the people there are volunteers, apparently.

And then there are all the lovely people who volunteer at food banks. They don't just hand out food, but often support clients in other ways, too.

Totally agree that people who get into these difficulties of their own making should pay towards their rescue

Like smokers, the fat people, the physically inactive??

Becca (and anyone else) - I recommend putting What3words onto your phone for future reference. It’s free and is used by 999 operators. I used it when I needed to report a minor accident and it was really helpful - far easier than trying to describe a vague area to someone who has no idea of the local geography (I live in a big, rural county).

The trouble is, if you’re going to charge, where do you stop? What about someone who trips up running on a rural footpath and breaks an ankle? Are you going to charge them for the rescue, or does the credit they get for keeping fit cancel out the risk they took in running cross-country? Who decides?

I was abroad on a helicopter ride as a tourist. We landed for a bit - planned. Then my pilot said he was going to rescue someone lost but would be back very soon. When he got back he said that the British tourist he was rescuing initially refused to get in the helicopter as he assumed he would be charged.
Charging would make people not phone for help. That is why they need to be free.

There's a search and rescue service in my home town who are based on the river that flows through here. They are 100% reliant on donations and they are 100% angels on earth.
My town unfortunately has a very high suicide rate, with people ending their lives using the river (don't wish to discuss methods!!!).
If someone goes into the river, these selfless volunteers patrol the river morning, noon and night until the person is recovered. This can take days and sometimes even weeks. They organise search parties and offer training and safety advice.
I can't even begin to imagine the heartbreaking things they've seen and heard.
They're also instrumental in saving people who get into difficulty in the river or along the banks.
Our local BBC did a documentary on them a few years back and I broke my heart crying because of their utter dedication and the work that they do.
And I never cry!!!!!

TBF if search and rescue didn't exist, or weren't available, then the police etc would still look for you. However, they may not have the specialist skills of a mountain rescue team. Just as if an air ambulance is not available, an ordinary one is still sent to you.

I do think having centralised funding for these things is tricky. For example, RNLI fund beach lifeguards in Cornwall (some of whom are also volunteers). If they were funded by the government, funding might actually come largely from council tax contributions- however many people who use their services don't pay council tax, locally as they are tourists. I think in some ways it can be better to have these things funded via a charity, as then it doesn't become political football.

Yep, our mountain rescue teams here in Snowdonia are run on a voluntary /donations basis.
Poor sods are out a lot in all weathers day or night. They are all very much respected.

Blood and organ bikers and drivers are totally amazing, all volunteers using their own vehicles, saved my life when I needed emergency platelets rushed from Sheffield to Nottingham... awesome people.

hospitals need volunteers to keep going, even things such as filing, as a volunteer I sometimes get a request to help with an unexpected admin task, volunteers do all sort of adminny things, as well as running little shops see bwc.nhs.uk/volunteering-roles
Much breastfeeding support is voluntary, if you need help at Christmas or on a bank holiday it will be volunteers who help, Hearts milk bank is a charity and relies on fundraising to do what it does, there are litter picks, Christmas dinners for the lonely, foodbanks, making equipment not commercially available for disabled people, community bus drivers......

UK MR has always been volunteer-only, and they do a lot of local S&R too, dementia patients etc. They're not keen to be state-funded as there will be all sorts of H&S restrictions that mean they can't actually get out and rescue people so quickly.

I know some volunteers, and worked professionally in the mountains myself. It is so frustrating to see people heading up with the wrong kit, too late in the day, no map etc... Most mountain folk will stop such people and try to advise, but some people (Londoners heading up Ben Nevis at 4pm in the winter, in trainers and light coats, no maps, torches, crampons, axes or knowledge on how to use them) just will not listen. I'm a little more sympathetic now I know more about those on the Ben this week, as though silly, they do seem to have understood their mistakes, and aren't from the UK.

When I worked there, it was noticeable that people from other countries with "proper" high mountains, e.g. alps, frequently saw the altitude of our mountains (around the 1000m mark as opposed to 3-4,000 metres) and assumed that they would be easy, and often were disbelieving we even had snow. What they weren't aware of was"

1. Scottish mountains frequently start from around sea level, so you are climbing the entire height, rather than starting from a car park half the way up.
2. Scottish mountains don't have marked paths outside of key tourist hot spots. Even the "tourist" path on Ben Nevis doesn't (thankfully) have the brightly coloured stone markers that, say the French Grande Routes have, and where it's almost impossible to get lost. Even the tourist path on BN requires, in bad weather (most days!) the ability to set and read a compass bearing across the plateau, as you need to dogleg to avoid falling down a massive cliff, to almost certain death. In mist or snow (frequent) you can't see the route at all because it's rock and scree there, so can easily follow a "path" right over the edge.
3. Scottish mountains have deep snow, sometimes from as early as late September, and have avalanches. The avalanches are even worse than alpine ones because the wetter snow causes slab avalanches rather than powder, like being by a tank, though neither's good.
4. Scottish weather - a key one for foreigners - is very very changeable. Sunny in the morning at the bottom, misty and rainy half way and by three quarters of the way up snow, fog, strong winds that blow you off your feet and white out conditions making navigation tricky even for those trained in blind navigation. Most foreigners, even those used to alpine conditions, assumed the mountains were smaller therefore easier, misjudged the weather changeability, and go up on a 'sunny' day with no waterproofs, no spares, no warm jumpers etc.

I’ll tell you what’s surprised me, the amount of volunteer police support staff. Our local force website is always advertising for all sorts of volunteer positions.

Blimey! i did read that some have volunteer dectives tell me this aint true!!!!

spud I would but most I can get round here on a mobile is couple end bars Of 3G and it will run nothing at all. My mobile will literally text and phone, and even that's hit and miss for most of my county. Not that you're going to know that of course! So thanks for the heads up.

I love What3Words.

Fabulous app.

It's better than nothing, but worrying if people are relying on that instead of map and compass skills, as without the skills they are far more likely to get themselves into a dangerous situation.

Victim Support is run by volunteers.

@viques

I don't think YABU to be stunned. Even though I know so many crucial services - all already listed - are run by volunteers, I ^still find it hard to get my head round. So I think YANBU.

The heroes that make up teams like Mountain rescue and RNLI as being the best known, but also other, smaller groups like the cave rescuers are just wonderful.
The fact that the Air Ambulances and so many of our Hospices are funded by volunteers and volunteer fundraisers is just incredible to get your head round.

I do my little bit by volunteering with Scouts, and you'd be amazed how many people can't get their heads round the fact all the Leaders are volunteers (this obviously applies to Guides, BB, GB, etc as well), and also how entirely 'normal' it is to know many, many people who have been doing the volunteering for 20, 30, 40 and even 50 years.

Yet I am still amazed by the work done by RNLI for example.

I can highly recommend volunteering. I can guarantee that whatever your interests or skills or availability there will be opportunities for you locally. Nothing makes you feel as good as making someone’s life a little bit nicer.