'Valuable contribution' of search and rescue volunteers recognised

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee medal is awarded to serving frontline members of the police, fire, emergency services, prison services and the Armed Forces. Acting as a token of the nation’s thanks, the Platinum Jubilee medal follows a long history of awarding medals to mark Royal Jubilee’s, with the first one awarded to mark the 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s reign in 1887.

The 650 members have qualified for the award by completing more than five years of volunteering service, which involve responding to callouts at all hours of the day or night, in all weathers with teams being available 24 hours day every day of the year.

This is the first time that Lowland Rescue members have been included for individual medals, alongside the other major UK search and rescue volunteer organisations such as Mountain Rescue and Cave Rescue.

The NPCC advocated for the inclusion of Lowland Rescue volunteers, recognising the value of their contribution to saving the lives of vulnerable missing people.

Lowland rescue has been active for more than 25 years. There are 34 teams across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. These teams of professional volunteers are highly trained and support local police forces and other blue light services, primarily in the search for missing persons and aid in the recovery of injured persons from rural locations in lowland Britain.

Over the past 25 years, Lowland Resuce teams have expanded and many now include search dogs, search drones, flood and swift water rescue technicians, mountain bikes, and boat, canoe and kayak search teams.