Play a part in ensuring partygoers in Shrewsbury get “Home & Dry” this Christmas.

West Mercia Search and Rescue will be operating River Safety Patrols over 3 weekends before Christmas.As a totally volunteer team, we have to find all our funding to stay operational.

Each year we look for local support for our River Safety Patrols. This helps us to cover our vehicle, fuel, and operational costs so that our team can focus on giving their time and expertise to the serious business of educating the party-goers and saving lives. If we are successful, we just have to give our volunteers’ time.

The night-time economy of Shrewsbury is strung out along the river and the blend of alcohol, young people and partying leads to numerous incidents, both accidental and intentional, that involve people in the water.

The dare-devil jump off the bridge, the drunken slip down the bank, the jokey push that leads to loss of balance and immersion. These may all seem fun in the summer but in December water temperatures are likely to mean you will last only a couple of minutes before you are unable to help yourself.

We work with a number of local organisations including the Police, the Council and the Street Pastors. We are also joined by Kirsty Walsh who has become an Ambassador for the team, and an active campaigner for improved safety measures by the river, since losing her husband, Shane, in the river a few years ago.

In previous years we have pulled people from the river, stopped people weaving their way towards danger, helped the police make sure an inebriated person was safely collected, and visited the pubs to spread the word of the “Home & Dry” project.

We are planning to be out on 6 nights this December – it costs us £500 for each night.

Can you help???

More information from:

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