Lowland Rescue members from 32 teams across the UK, will receive the Queens Platinum Jubilee Medal over the next few weeks. This highly prestigious award is given to hundreds of volunteers in recognition of their service in searching for and rescuing missing people in lowland areas. 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 National Police Chief’s Council advocated for the inclusion of Lowland Rescue volunteers, recognising the value of their contribution to saving the lives of vulnerable missing people.
Over 650 members have qualified by completing over 5 years of volunteering service, which involve responding to callouts at all hours of the day or night, in all weathers with teams being available 24/7 every day of the year. Over 4000 years of volunteering between them. All supporting the search for missing persons, flood rescue, wildfire tactical support, and much more besides. Saving lives when every second counts.
Lowland Rescue has been active for over 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 last 25 years Lowland Rescue teams have expanded their roles and the assets available to help them search and recover missing people. Teams may now include search dogs, search drones, flood and swift water rescue technicians, mountain bikes, and boat, canoe and kayak search teams.
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is a special commemorative medal awarded to serving frontline members of the Police, Fire, other 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 Jubilees, with the first one awarded to mark the 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s reign in 1887.
The Platinum Jubilee Medal has been designed by Timothy Noad of the College of Arms and features an image of The Queen with the Latin inscription ‘Elizabeth II Dei Gratia Regina Fid Def’ which stands for ‘Elizabeth II, By the Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith.
