Wiltshire Search & Rescue

What Wiltshire Search & Rescue does

Wiltshire Search and Rescue (WILSAR) is a UK registered charity (No. 1205651) founded in 2000 and headquartered at Wiltshire Police HQ in Devizes, providing voluntary specialist search and rescue services across Wiltshire and the surrounding South West region. The organisation fields a 124-person all-volunteer team organised into specialist capability teams — drone (Pilot/Spotter pairs), bike search, water search (wading, boats, sleds, flood rescue), steep ground operations, search dogs (air and ground scenting) and nationally registered Lowland Rescue Casualty Carers. Services are activated exclusively by Category 1 emergency responders (Police, Fire, Ambulance, Local Authority, NHS) through a duty phone system connected to emergency service control rooms; all operational members hold NPPV Level 1 vetting and are trained to UK Lowland Rescue National Standards, with Search Technician qualification requiring roughly six months and 22 mandatory training sessions delivered in coordination with the UK Lowland Search Institute.

In 2025 the team recorded 61 call-outs, 26,768 volunteer hours and 744 training sessions and events, with Wiltshire Police as the dominant activation channel. Operational coverage spans Salisbury Plain, urban centres and water environments, 24/7/365, with no charge levied to the public or to emergency services. Revenue is generated through two streams: (1) community donations, grants, fundraising events and sponsorship — the primary inflow, with no statutory funding disclosed; and (2) a portfolio of six Qualsafe-certified first aid training courses ranging from a 1-day Emergency First Aid at Work at £90 per person to a 5-day First Response Emergency Care (Level 3 RQF) at £500 per person (group bookings only), available to individuals via open enrolment and to organisations as private group sessions. All training profits are recycled into operational equipment, vehicles and call-out response. Total annual operating cost is stated at approximately £100,000 (basic fuel and insurance of ~£36,000 plus training, equipment and vehicle capex). The organisation is governed as an independent charity with no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no equity funding rounds, and operates under trademark licence from the Association of Lowland Search and Rescue ('Lowland Rescue', 'From Hill to High Water').

Name

Wiltshire Search & Rescue

Legal name

Wiltshire Search and Rescue

Website

https://wilsar.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Wiltshire Search and Rescue is a UK registered charity running a 124-strong all-volunteer specialist search and rescue team (drone, water, steep ground, dogs, bike, casualty care) activated by emergency services across the South West, supplemented by a Qualsafe-certified first aid training business.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Search and Rescue Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Emergency Response & Search-and-Rescue (SAR) (BPAGAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Search & Rescue (Urban/Water/Wilderness) Coordination (HLAJAGAJ), Disaster Response & Search and Rescue (SAR) (BPADADAA)

Keywords

• Search and rescue services
• First aid training
• Volunteer emergency response
• Missing person search
• Lowland rescue

Headquarters

HQ city

Devizes

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Relies on fundraising efforts and generosity of communities. No charges for services to public or emergency services. Basic running costs (fuel, insurance) approximately £36,000 per annum, rising to approximately £100,000 with additional costs for training, equipment, and vehicles.
2. First Aid Training Courses: Offers various first aid courses to public and organizations. All course profits are directly spent on equipping the team and responding to call-outs. Courses range from £90 to £500 per person.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wiltshire Search and Rescue is a voluntary specialist search team providing 24/7/365 free-of-charge search and rescue services for high-risk vulnerable and missing people across Wiltshire and surrounding areas, activated at the request of Category 1 emergency responders. The organisation additionally delivers six Qualsafe-certified first aid training courses to the public and organisations, with all course profits funding operational search and rescue equipment, vehicles, and training.

Product overview

Wiltshire Search and Rescue is a non-profit charitable organization that provides search and rescue services and first aid training courses. The organization offers a portfolio of six Qualsafe-certified first aid training courses ranging from 1-day emergency courses (£90) to a comprehensive 5-day First Response Emergency Care qualification (£500). Courses are designed for both individuals and private groups, with all profits directly supporting the charity's operational search and rescue activities, vehicle maintenance, equipment, and training costs. The core Search Technician training program runs approximately 6 months with 22 mandatory training sessions, qualifying volunteers to UK Lowland Rescue National Standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Voluntary Search and Rescue Deployment Free-of-charge specialist search and rescue service finding high-risk vulnerable and missing people, activated exclusively at the request of Category 1 emergency responders (Police, Fire, Ambulance, Local Authority, NHS). Deploys drone, mountain bike, water, steep ground, search dog, and casualty care teams across all terrain types.
• Emergency First Aid at Work

Quantifiable outcome

• 61 call-outs completed in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• UK Lowland Search Institute (UKLSI)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerExternal training provider used for Search Technician training. The UKLSI provides residential weekend courses where many Search Technician skills are taught in multiple sessions. Training dates and programmes coordinated with UKLSI curriculum.
• Wiltshire PolicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary requesting agency for search and rescue deployments. Non-Police Personnel Vetting Level 1 required for all operational members. Team members work under direction of Police Search Advisors (PolSA) or Officers in Charge.
• Association of Lowland Search and RescuecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organisation providing trademark licensing for 'Lowland Rescue' and 'From Hill to High Water' brands. Sets national standards for Search Technician qualifications and casualty care.
• Qualsafe AwardscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCertified Qualsafe Centre providing first aid qualifications. As the largest Awarding Organisation for First Aid qualifications in the UK, Qualsafe certification ensures high quality training by certified instructors.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI): UK volunteer-led emergency response charity providing lifeboat and water rescue; comparable in operating a 24/7 volunteer rescue service funded by donations and offering training.
• British Red Cross: Large UK humanitarian charity delivering emergency response, first aid training, and community support; adjacent comparator given WILSAR's community emergency response and training revenue model.
• Mountain Rescue England and Wales: National umbrella for volunteer mountain rescue teams; comparable volunteer-led SAR delivery model and similar reliance on donations and statutory partnerships, though focused on upland terrain.
• HM Coastguard Rescue Service: Statutory UK coastal search and rescue service; overlaps with WILSAR's water rescue capability and is a frequent mutual-aid partner through Lowland Rescue integration.
• St John Ambulance: National first aid charity providing training and event medical cover; comparable to WILSAR's first aid training arm (Qualsafe-aligned courses) though broader in scale and medical focus.

Direct peers

• Lincolnshire Lowland Search and Rescue: Volunteer lowland SAR charity operating to UK Lowland Rescue National Standards; directly comparable in deployment via Category 1 responders and absence of statutory funding.
• Dorset Lowland Rescue: Volunteer lowland search and rescue charity serving Dorset, trained to the same UK Lowland Rescue National Standards and activated by Category 1 responders.
• Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA): Volunteer SAR charity covering the Severn estuary and inland areas; comparable volunteer model, multi-capability team structure, and donation-funded operations.
• Berkshire Lowland Search and Rescue: Volunteer SAR charity operating under the Association of Lowland Search and Rescue with an equivalent mix of drone, dog, and foot search teams.
• Somerset Lowland Search and Rescue: Neighbouring UK Lowland Rescue charity operating with the same volunteer SAR model across Somerset; directly comparable in mission, capability mix, and statutory partner relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wilsarteam/?locale=en_GB
• LinkedInuk.linkedin.com/company/wiltshire-search-and-rescue
• Instagraminstagram.com/wiltshiresearchandrescue
• Xx.com/WiltshireSAR

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wiltshire Search & Rescue