International Support Projects
Ruth Lee International Support Programme
With more than 60% of our products exported overseas, Ruth Lee works with rescue organisations, emergency services and communities all around the world. We know that, beyond the volunteer rescue teams we support through our Volunteer Heroes Fund, there are many other important projects and causes that could benefit from additional help.
Through our International Support Programme, we aim to support larger, one-off or specialist projects that are making a meaningful difference to communities around the world. This may include projects focused on rescue, emergency response, water safety, life-saving education or other initiatives where our support can help make a real impact.
Each project is considered individually, allowing us to respond to opportunities and causes where support is needed most. Whether that involves equipment, resources, financial contributions or another form of support, we assess each opportunity based on the project, its aims and the difference our involvement could make.
Scroll down to find out more about some of the international projects and causes we have supported to date.
Looking for Support?
If you are involved in a larger, one-off or specialist project and would like to request support, please complete the form below and tell us more about your project, the support you are looking for and how it could make a difference.
If you are a volunteer rescue team looking for support with training manikins, equipment or monetary funding, please visit our Volunteer Heroes Fund to find out whether applications are currently open and how your team can apply.
Apply for support from th Ruth Lee International Support Programme
If you’re involved in an emergency services, rescue or life-saving project and are looking for support to help make it happen, we’d love to hear more. Tell us about your project, the work you’re doing and the support you need by completing the form below. Our team will review your application and get back to you as soon as possible.
International Social Programme Application
RLSS Commonwealth (in partnership with International Lifesaving Federation)
Received: Pool Rescue Manikin donations to 6 low-resource nations
In 2023, the RLSS Commonwealth approached us about a special project to support water safety and lifeguard training in low-resource nations.
This project aims to address the burden of drowning in low-resource settings by educating lifesaving trainers in water rescue and resuscitation through realistic training mankins such as the Pool Rescue Training Manikin.
Working with the International Lifesaving Federation, who had previously received a donation of manikins to support such projects, we arranged for the delivery of Pool Rescue manikins to 6 countries including:
- India – Rashtriya Life Saving Society India
- Jamaica – Royal Life Saving Society Jamaica
- Kenya – Kenya Lifesaving Federation
- South Africa – Lifesaving South Africa
- Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka Life Saving
- Trinidad and Tobago – Trinidad and Tobago Lifesaving Society
Volunteer Heroes Canada
Received: Manikins for 15 Volunteer Rescue Teams
Working with our Canadian partners ALG Safety, we awarded 15 deserving teams with Ruth Lee training manikins of their choice. The list of recipients were:
- Pompiers de Charlo Fire Department
- West Bay Road and District Volunteer Fire Department
- Winnipeg Search and Rescue Association
- Yellowknife Search & Rescue
- Pemberton Search and Rescue
- Beaver Lake Fire Department
- Elbow Volunteer Fire Department
- Sioux Lookout Fire Fighters Association
- Eurêka Recherche Sauvetage
- New London Fire Company
- Stephenville Search and Rescue
- Brigade d’incendie NVR NotreDamedesÉrables
- Pasadena Fire Rescue
- Oliver/Osoyoos Search and Rescue
- Langham Fire Department
Volunteer Heroes Germany
Received: Manikins for 14 Volunteer Rescue Teams
Working with our Germany partners Rescue Tec, we awarded 14 deserving teams with Ruth Lee training manikins of their choice. The list of recipients were:
- THW Helfervereinigung Berlin-Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg eV
- DLRG Ortsgruppe Kriftel eV
- Förderverein der Freiwilligen Feuerwehr Oberhausen-Rheinhausen Abt. Oberhausen
- German Red Cross Kreisverband Saale-Orla eV
- Volunteer Fire Department Hilpoltstein
- Fall protection of the Feuerwehr Sehlem
- Volunteer Fire Department Bermatingen
- Volunteer Fire Department Vierden
- Technisches Hilfswerk Euskirchen
- Volunteer Fire Department Neu Wulmstorf
- Volunteer Fire Department Heiligenhafen
- Volunteer Fire Department Markt Weidenberg
- Volunteer Fire Department Wallau/Lahn
- Volunteer Fire Department Berka/Werra
Ukraine Support Effort
After much consideration, we decided to donate the full Volunteer Heroes Fund for 2021/2022 to the following three charities offering support to those most in need in Ukraine…
UNICEFÂ – the UN’s children’s charity, which is helping to ensure families have clean water and food and that child health and protection services continue.
International Rescue Committee UK – The IRC is on the ground in Poland, working with local partners in Poland and Ukraine, to quickly mobilise resources that will provide life-saving support to civilians forced to flee their homes.
Association of Ukrainians In Great Britain – the largest representative body for Ukrainians in the UK, which has so far raised more than £1.1m, which will help fund medicine, food and other essentials for those in need.
Applicants of the fund were notified and responded with overwhelming support.
Bombeiros Penela - Volunteer Penela Fire Brigade
Received: Adult and Child Duty Range Manikin
Bombeiros Penela is a volunteer Fire Brigade located in Penela, Portugal prepared and equipped to help the wounded and sick and to protect in any other way, the life and property of the inhabitants of the municipality of Penela.
Saaremaa Vabatahtlik Merepääste Selts - Saaremaa Voluntary Sea Rescue Society
Received: £1,500
Established in 2013, Saaremaa Volunteer Sea Rescue Society’s aim is to ensure and increase maritime safety in coastal waters, and to develop maritime rescue capabilities in Saare County, Estonia.
Hiiumaa Vabatahtlik Merepääste Selts - MTÜ Hiiumaa Volunteer Sea Rescue Society
Received: 2 x Search and Rescue Manikins
MTÜ Hiiumaa Volunteer Sea Rescue Society brings together volunteer lifeguards and also deals with prevention work, all in Hiiumaa, Estonia.
Bomberos Voluntarios De Tegueste - Volunteer Fire and Rescue Tegueste
Received: £1,000
Bomberos Voluntarios Tegueste is a fire station in Tegueste located on the Spanish Canary Island of Tenerife.
German Red Cross, District Association Bonn, Team West
Received: Adult and Child Duty Range Manikin
As a part of the disaster relief organizations, the German Red Cross, Team West provide medical service for lots of large scale events in Bonn. Lasy year, Team West were deployed at several mass casualty events like major railway accidents, the high floods of the river Rhine and Elbe, storms and two years in a row when severe thunderstorms and lightning strikes hit a music festival, causing high numbers of casualties.
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Freiwilligen
Received: £1,500
The “Freiwilligen Feuerwehr Brandenberg” is a volunteer fire briage based in Brandenberg, Austria, founded on July 20th, 1906.
Nucleo Fluviale F.V.G
Received: Man Overboard Manikin
The Nucleo Fluviale F.V.G is an Italian river and aquatic rescue association born from a group of friends who share a passion for various water activities such as rafting, canoeing and canyoning.
Groupe Montagne des Sapeurs Pompiers de la Drôme
Received: £1,000
Groupe Montagne des Sapeurs Pompiers de la Drôme are a team of rescue workers operating in a mountainous region to carry out mountain rescue, ski rescue, climbing rescues and some USAR.
Coober Pedy Mine Rescue
Received: £500
Coober Pedy Mine Rescue are a specialist rescue team operating in a area famed for Opal mining. They assist with all manner of rescues, from underground caving, general above ground SAR and flood support to assisting the ambulance during highway accidents.
Marine Rescue Bermagui
Received: £500
Marine Rescue Bermagui is tasked with providing 24 hour coverage 365 days a year and is a fully volunteer branch. They called upon to assist vessels in trouble on the sea, which may be a fisherman who has engine problems and requires a tow back to harbour to participating in a full search and rescue of a missing vessel and persons.
Hatley Volunteer Fire Department
Received: Multi Trauma Manikin
The Hatley Volunteer Fire Department was established August 1st, 1978 to provide professional rate fire protection service from a group of well trained firemen.  We have since grown to maintain two stations, six pieces of apparatus, and over 30 active members thanks to the hard work and determination of our community.
The team form part of the Monroe County SAR.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS TEAM:Â CLICK HERE
Port Lincoln State Emergency Service (Australia)
Received: 1 x Man Overboard manikin and 1 x Youth Duty Manikin
Port Lincoln State Emergency Service volunteers respond to local Marine and Land emergency calls but also provide support Search and Rescue Services for the whole of the Lower Eyre Peninsula heading North to Cowell across west to Cleve, Lock, Elliston, Streaky Bay and 400km to the Far West to Ceduna. They also provide local instructions to support other SES Units.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS TEAM –Â CLICK HERE
Gymnasium Centro Studi e Formazione (Italy)
Received: Manikin TBC
A team of aquatic rescuers and instructors involved in pool and beach life guarding. They also provide drowning prevention, lifeguard training and CPR projects within high schools, prisons, to people with intellectual disabilities and young immigrants.
Order of Malta Ambulance Corp, Sligo Unit (Ireland)
Received: Duty Plus Manikin
The Sligo Unit of the Order of Malta spends most of the year attending festivals and sporting events. On certain occasions the unit partakes in light rescue operations during key events such as the annual Croagh Patrick Pilgrimage on Reek Sunday. This event sees the unit operating alongside Mountain rescue teams and other statutory services.
Swift Water Rescue Team Toscana (Italy)
Received: 1 x Adult and 1 x toddler SAR manikins
The SWRTT intervenes at the request of the civil protection authorities in emergency scenarios.
Associação Humanitária dos Bombeiros Voluntários De Cacilhas (Portugal)
Received: £500
A volunteer unit inside the fire brigade, they assist with many kinds of rescue including road traffic accidents.
Search and Rescue Assistance in Disasters - International Resilience Team
Received: £1,000
The International Resilience Team of Search and Rescue Assistance in Disasters.
The IRT responds to the aftermath of natural disasters world-wide, including earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, mudslides and flooding. The IRT based and training the UK and will deploy in the UK and abroad. This team might be locating and extracting casualties from collapsed buildings and mudslides or rescuing people from floodwater and is on standby 365 days a year. The team also surveys and records buildings affected by these disasters and provides general structural engineering and medical advice to host countries.
Swift Water Rescue Team Toscana (Italy)
Received: £1,000
Awarded £1,000 towards the cost of purchasing a new rescue boat
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE TEAM:Â www.swrttoscana.it
Palmerston North Rescue Emergency Support Team (New Zealand)
Received: £500
Awarded £500 towards the cost of purchasing a ‘white-water’ style raft to use in flood situations.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE TEAM:Â www.facebook.com/nzrt4
Hutt City Emergency Response Team (New Zealand
Received: £500
Awarded £500 towards the cost of purchasing PFDs and Throw Bags for flood rescue.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE TEAM:Â www.facebook.com/NZRT18
Geraldine Road Crash Response Team (New Zealand)
Received: Multi-Trauma Manikin
The Geraldine Road Crash Rescue Team is a group of Fire Service and St Johns members with an interest in improving extrication techniques and patient care.
St. John Rescue Corps (Malta)
Received: 70Kg Fire House Manikin
The Corps assists and provides cover at events such as in the Isle of MTV, Malta National Marathon, Drag Racing Duties, various activities organised by the office of the President, Clean ups and events organised by other NGOs. The Corps also partakes in educational events about water rescue, high angle rescue as well as fire awareness and fire fighting together with voluntary organisations and other groups.