We’re proud to announce the first handover of equipment from the Ruth Lee Volunteer Heroes 2025 Fund, with Hampshire Search and Rescue (HANTSAR) becoming the first recipient to receive their new technology this year.
Supporting Volunteer Heroes Across the UK
Launched in 2017, the Ruth Lee Volunteer Heroes initiative is part of our ongoing commitment to supporting volunteer-led rescue teams who give their time, skills, and energy to protecting their communities – often with limited funding and resources.
For 2025, the fund focused on UK-based volunteer teams, with the aim of helping them access the very latest rescue training technology and equipment that may otherwise be out of reach. Following a highly competitive application process, six UK volunteer organisations were selected to receive support through this year’s programme.
Three teams – Hampshire Search and Rescue, Surrey Search & Rescue, and Nene Valley First Responders – were chosen to receive our RL360 Mixed Reality Training Package, while a further three organisations – Order of Malta Ambulance Corps (Armagh & Coalisland Units), Tees River Rescue, and Central Beacons Mountain Rescue — will each receive a Trauma Rescue Manikin to enhance their casualty care training.
RL360 Handover to Hampshire Search and Rescue
This week, HANTSAR officially received their RL360 system, with Ruth Lee Product Manager Ryan Foley visiting the team at their base in Exton, near Southampton, to deliver and set up the equipment.
HANTSAR is a voluntary rescue service covering Hampshire, working closely with statutory emergency services to conduct search and rescue operations in non-mountainous terrain. Their operational area is one of the most varied and challenging lowland environments in the UK, spanning dense woodland, open heathland, rolling countryside, extensive river systems, coastal and tidal areas, as well as major urban centres including Southampton and Portsmouth. This wide operational scope requires the team to be prepared for everything from rural missing person searches to complex incidents in busy urban and coastal settings.
HANTSAR applied for the RL360 Mixed Reality Training Package as part of the Volunteer Heroes programme, identifying its potential to significantly enhance their casualty assessment and patient care training. A key advantage of RL360 is its flexibility – allowing teams to train not only at their base, but also out in the environments where they regularly operate.
The package awarded to HANTSAR includes:
- RL360 Mixed Reality software licence
- HTC VIVE XR Elite headset and wireless tracker system
- 30kg Duty Manikin, complementing their existing Ruth Lee manikin stock, which includes lightweight Mountain Rescue Manikins
This combination allows HANTSAR to blend physical casualty handling with immersive, scenario-driven mixed reality training – helping their volunteers practise critical skills such as patient assessment, decision-making, and casualty management in realistic, operational settings.
A Collaborative Step Forward
During the visit, Ryan met with Operational Lead Stephen Cook and team member Aaron Parker to discuss how RL360 will be integrated into HANTSAR’s training programme.
Commenting on the handover, Ryan said:
“It was a privilege to meet Stephen and Aaron to hand over their new system and talk through how they plan to deploy RL360 within HANTSAR’s training. Being able to see how such a skilled volunteer team will use the system in real operational environments is incredibly valuable. Their in-field use and feedback will play an important role in helping us continue to develop and refine RL360 for the wider rescue and emergency services community. I’m really looking forward to working closely with HANTSAR throughout this year and beyond.”
Looking Ahead
We’re incredibly proud to support Hampshire Search and Rescue as part of the Volunteer Heroes 2025 programme and excited to see how RL360 will support their training and preparedness for real-world incidents.
Further handovers to the remaining Volunteer Heroes recipients will take place over the coming months, and we look forward to sharing more updates as these organisations receive their equipment and begin putting it to work.
To learn more about the Volunteer Heroes programme, our wider social commitment initiatives, and updates on future funding rounds, visit our Social Commitment pages.
Want to Learn More About RL360?
The RL360 Mixed Reality Training Package is designed to enhance casualty assessment and patient care training by blending physical manikins with immersive mixed reality scenarios – whether training at base or out in the field.
UK-based organisations interested in exploring how RL360 could support their training can request a free demonstration with our team using the form on the page linked below.
👉 Find out more about RL360 and request a free UK demonstration