Civil Aid Voluntary Rescue Association
 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 2000 |
| Website | https://www.cavra.org.uk |
Civil Aid Voluntary Rescue Association (CAVRA) is a voluntary civil defence & search and rescue Organisation operating within England & Wales. It is a registered charity, and its purpose is to provide back-up personnel to the emergency services in a range of situations, including in particular searches for missing persons. They also provide support at public events and during times of adverse weather conditions, natural disaster or civil emergency.[1]
CAVRA briefly ceased operations in July 2024 due to the retirement of Chairman Ivor Davies and a number of other trusties.[2] Once new trustees were appointed in November 2024, the charity has relaunched, with an updated image, and new operating area, now covering England & Wales, rather than just the South Wales area from mid to the south Wales coast previously covered.
The relaunched CAVRA is split into three main sections, these are:
Rescue Section
This Section can provide search and rescue/recovery services for missing persons/items in a wide range of scenarios, including:
- Water Rescue
- Terrestrial (Land) Search and Rescue
- Drone/UAV Search and Rescue
- Victim Recovery
- 4x4 Vehicle Support
- Severe Weather Recovery & Support
Medical Section
This section is available to provide first aid and first responders to local authority rest centers to provide a level of medical cover.
Welfare Section
This section is available to provide care, comfort, shelter and catering services to members of the community during major emergencies and contains the following units:
- Community Emergency Volunteers (CEVs) - a network of volunteers covering the borough, ready to help, and provide assistance to the local authority, and the Emergency services in times of emergency. Our CEVs will coordinate Community Resilience Hubs for local volunteers
- Emergency Catering Unit – provides food to team members on operational duty and those members of the community rendered homeless and/or deprived of normal facilities
- Companions Unit – provides shelter/accommodation and registration of those rendered homeless and/or deprived of normal facilities, as well as providing practical and emotional support to individuals.
CAVRA is also able to set up and provide a Voluntary Agency Coordination Centre (VACC) with shelter, electricity and furniture to be used to coordinate voluntary agencies responses during incidents. This allows commanders or leads from each voluntary agency to co-locate to provide an effective response. The VACC is a suitable solution for MASHAs (Multi-Agecy Strategic Holding Areas) or similar.
References
[edit]- ^ "CAVRA volunteers rise to the winter challenge". Penarth Times. 31 December 2010. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ "Retirement of Ivor Davies as Chairman and dissolution of CAVRA". GVS. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
External links
[edit]- Civil Aid Voluntary Rescue Organisation
- "Civil Aid Voluntary Rescue Association (current entry), registered charity no. 1194929". Charity Commission for England and Wales.
- "Civil Aid Voluntary Rescue Association (former entry), registered charity no. 1088563". Charity Commission for England and Wales.
 | This article about a charitable organisation in the United Kingdom is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This article about an organisation in Wales is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |