MVS Severn
Serving Your Local Maritime Community
The Maritime Volunteer Services is a company limited by Guarantee No. 3003565.
A Registered Charity in England and Wales No. 1048454 and in Scotland SC 039269
Registered Address: 17 Cromwell Road, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S40 4TH, UK.
© 2010 MVS Severn -
Welcome to the website of the Severn Unit of
The Maritime Volunteer Service
The Maritime Volunteer Service
We meet each week to train and practice the skills needed to support the local maritime community including in emergencies. We also seek to pass on those skills to anyone with an interest in the sea. We aim to:
Provide high quality training to national standards in maritime skills to people over 18 from all walks of life, with or without experience.
Maintain a group of trained volunteers able to support maritime and local authorities and communities afloat and ashore at maritime events and emergencies.
History of Severn Unit
The unit was formed on 1 April 1994 on the same day that the MVS was founded. Originally housed with Cheltenham Sea Cadets, it moved after 18 months to Gloucester Docks. Here it was accommodated in the National Waterways Museum until development works took away the space. A move was made within the Docks to temporary accommodation loaned by the Docks development company. Eventually this too was removed and the unit came to its present home in Tewkesbury in the mid 90s. Situated at the confluence of the rivers Severn and Warwickshire Avon, this provides us with good access to the water for training. In Tewkesbury, accommodation is provided free of charge by the County Council. In the summer months most training is based in Tewkesbury Marina where our boats and equipment trailer are kept, where the owners generously provide free berthing.
Members train in seamanship, marine engineering and operational support. The unit has a strong tradition of responding to the local community in times of difficulty such as floods and pollution.
In 1998 we were approached by the Bristol Port Company with a request to provide support in their Emergency Control Centre during emergencies and incidents within their 2600 acre dock estate and 20 mile seaward approach channel. This has expanded to undertaking patrols of part of the Port’s waters checking navigation aides and marine safety, using two of the Port’s own vessel. This is done in partnership with Bristol unit.
In 1999 we were asked by Gloucestershire emergency planners to become part of the waterborne response team which, after 2004 became the Search & Rescue Group of the Local Resilience forum, led by the Fire & Rescue Service.
The unit has been involved in responding to various emergencies within the Port and the county, including the 2007 floods.