Charity

Spotlight on the charity we are supporting this year

Formed in 2004 after the disappearance of a teenage girl in Warrington, Cheshire Search and Rescue started with a group of community spirited individuals with little more than a few torches and High Visibility vests. Today the team takes pride in being a well-trained, well-equipped group of volunteers from across Cheshire, able to deploy at a moment’s notice to assist Cheshire police in the search for missing vulnerable people.

Professional in all but pay, Cheshire Search and Rescue now has more than 50 on-call members and 70 members in total including trainees. The team receives no public funding to support the work they do across Cheshire, so every penny needed to keep the team operational, and to purchase essential equipment and vehicles is raised by the team’s volunteers and supporters.

From Humble Beginnings

Founded in 2004 with just a few torches and high-vis vests, Cheshire Search and Rescue has grown into a crucial part of the community, ready to respond at a moment’s notice to help find missing vulnerable people across Cheshire.

A Dedicated Team

With over 50 on-call members and 70 volunteers including trainees, our team embodies professionalism in every action. Entirely volunteer-driven, we're committed to serving Cheshire without public funding, relying on community support to stay operational.

Saving Lives

As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, our mission to secure a new search boat highlights our ongoing commitment to saving lives. Thanks to MaccBeerFest's support, we're closer to ensuring our team can respond more effectively to those in need.

A word from the Team Chair

“On behalf of Cheshire Search and Rescue, I’d like to say a big thank you to MaccBeerFest for choosing us as the Charity of the Year. This opportunity allows us to spread the word across Macclesfield & Cheshire and let more people know about the work we do and raise the all-important funds to replace our aged search boat, making sure we can respond to the requests for help we get.

What makes it even more special, is that 2024 is the 20th anniversary of the team and we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate. We’re excited to have our volunteers coming to the Saturday day session of MaccBeerFest, bringing some vehicles and equipment to talk about the work the team does”.

Bryn Jones

Team Chair