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The Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA)

Chepstow

The Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA) is a large independent multi-disciplinary volunteer search and rescue organisation. They have 6 bases that they operate from ranging from the Newport area of the Severn River up to Wolverhampton. They rely solely upon volunteers and have approximately 170 personnel on call from the local areas, with even more available to help with fundraising.

SARA operates both designated inshore lifeboat stations, and land and inland water rescue stations. They provide a base for launching a variety of search and/or rescue operations including lifeboat, mud, cliff, land, swift-water and flood operations, and ones where these disciplines are combined. SARA Beachley (based here in Chepstow) is the most multi-disciplinary, having been a Mountain Rescue post since 1985 as well as a Lifeboat Station. The other SARA stations are focused on specific operations.

With varieties of vehicles, safety equipment and maintenance costs (to name but a very few of the operating costs that they must find funds for) SARA rely heavily on donations to maintain a rescue service to the professional standard needed.
To raise some of these much-needed funds one of the events they hold is their annual Great SARA Duck Race and Lifeboat Rescue Display. This year it is on Saturday 1st July at the Boat Inn in Chepstow. The race itself is from the A48 Bridge to the Old Town Bridge, alongside the Chepstow harbour wall.
Basepoint are proud to be supporting SARA at this event and hope that the day will be a huge success in raising funds.

If you would like to donate money to SARA go to http://www.sara-rescue.org.uk/donate/