Prestigious King's Award for Northamptonshire volunteers whose work brings missing people home to their loved ones

The team of volunteers have been granted The King’s Award for Voluntary Service for 2024. It is the group equivalent to an MBE.

Formed in 2013, NSAR provides professional volunteer search and rescue support to the local emergency services. Currently numbering 48 volunteers, with an additional 17 in training, operating three rescue vehicles including an incident command vehicle. The team now operates many specialties alongside its regular foot teams.

These include swift water rescue and kayak teams, dog handlers, drone pilots, as well as two of the first Lowland Rescue Incident Commanders nationally.

During its existence, the teams has deployed to nearly 600 Incidents, ranging from missing person searches, casualty evacuations, and flood responses. These have lasted, in some cases, a matter of minutes, through to the longest at 11 days. The team has worked alongside other agencies at declared major incidents, including the evacuations of Billing Aquadrome.

Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Danielle Stone, said: “It is fantastic to see that Northants Search and Rescue has been bestowed this honour and it is thoroughly deserved.

“In my time as Commissioner, I have seen and heard first-hand what a vital role NSAR has in supporting our emergency services.

“There are families who have been reunited with loved ones thanks to their work assisting Police in searching for high risk missing people, and we saw only recently the incredible role they played in helping the fire service to evacuate people from properties in the recent floods across the county.

“There is much more excellent work that I could highlight, and NSAR are not simply a volunteering group – they are a professional, trusted, and reliable resource for our emergency services to call upon at the most difficult of times.

“On behalf of both police and fire, I congratulate NSAR for this award, and thank them for the tireless work they have carried out in helping to keep residents safe across the county.”

A spokesperson for NSAR said “The team, committee and trustees are immensely proud to receive this reward, to be recognized by the King and national committee and awarded the highest award in the land. It’s quite astonishing.

"We want to thank the volunteers, both current and historic, for all their hard work to get to this point. We would also like to say a huge thank you to the families and friends of our volunteers. It takes a lot to see your loved one head out the door and head into the night to rescue others. It’s the family and friends that help by covering childcare, and picking up the slack when our volunteers are called upon.”

Northamptonshire Search & Rescue is one of 281 groups to receive the prestigious award this year.

The King’s Award for Voluntary Service recognises outstanding work by local volunteer groups to support their communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate Her Majesty, the late Queen’s Golden Jubilee, and was continued following the accession of His Majesty the King.

Representatives of NSAR will receive the award crystal and certificate from James Saunders Watson, Lord-Lieutenant of Northamptonshire, later this year. In addition, two volunteers will attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace in May and June 2025.