Buckinghamshire rescue charity receives £1,500 donation from leading homebuilder

A volunteer search and rescue charity dedicated to helping find vulnerable missing people has received a £1,500 donation from Barratt Homes.

Search Dogs Buckinghamshire, which is part of the national Lowland Rescue network, was awarded the funding to help maintain and develop its specialist search dog teams, which support police and other emergency services in locating high-risk missing persons across Buckinghamshire and surrounding areas.

Established in 2012, the charity has grown significantly and now has 13 operational members, two fully operational search dogs and ten dogs in training. The team is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and regularly assists in searches for people living with dementia, individuals experiencing mental health crises, children, and people with learning disabilities.

The £1,500 donation will help the charity cover essential costs, including training, equipment replacement, insurance, venue hire, IT systems, and the recruitment and development of new volunteers.

John Seaman, Chair of Search Dogs Buckinghamshire, said: "We were delighted when Barratt and David Wilson Homes got in touch to tell us we had been selected for a donation. The funding came completely out of the blue and was a wonderful surprise.

"We will use this donation to maintain the capabilities of our K9 teams over the coming year, meet our statutory obligations, and help recruit and train new members. This includes training, replacing equipment, training venue hire, insurance and IT systems.

"We are dependent on donations from members of the public and organisations to keep the charity going. While we receive a grant from Thames Valley Police that contributes towards some of our annual running costs, donations such as this are essential in helping us continue our work.

Barratt Homes’ donation was made as part of The Barratt Redrow Foundation, which is designed to support national and local charities, large and small, across the UK to leave a legacy in the communities in which the housebuilder operates.

The Barratt Redrow Foundation is celebrating its fifth anniversary in 2026. Since its launch, it has committed £20 million to charities and good causes, supported over 2,000 different charities, and is estimated to have directly impacted 100,000 young people each year.

Simon Francis, Managing Director at Barratt Homes Northampton, said: “We are committed to supporting organisations that make a real difference in the communities where we build. Search Dogs Buckinghamshire is a fantastic example of a charity whose impact extends far beyond its local area, and we are proud to contribute to its ongoing success."

To find out more about the charity, visit the website at Search Dogs Buckinghamsire.