Project summary
Volunteer responders carry out life-saving actions in high-stress situations—often with little psychological support. This project explores how communication can strengthen their mental wellbeing, confidence, and readiness, while contributing to safer, more resilient communities.
Led by researchers at Northumbria University, the initiative brings together partners and stakeholders from emergency response, mental health, public health, and the wider voluntary and community sectors. It supports and enhances the Waterside Responder Scheme (WRS), a nationwide initiative first piloted by the RNLI and Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS). The project addresses a critical gap in the WRS: the lack of structured support for the emotional and psychological challenges faced by volunteer responders.
The project is endorsed by key partners including TWFRS, the RNLI, Tyneside and Northumberland Mind, and Newcastle City Council. Drawing on trauma-informed, participatory approaches and health communication research, it develops inclusive, person-centred communication strategies rooted in real-world safety settings.
These strategies help prepare and support volunteer responders in water rescue and broader community safety efforts. It also contributes to public engagement through outreach and education activities. These include a partnership with SafetyWorks—an interactive learning centre operated by TWFRS. The centre engages school-aged children across the Tyne and Wear region through immersive educational sessions focusing on everyday safety, risk prevention, and wellbeing.
The project is shaping new communication practices, training approaches, and educational resources designed to improve community safety. These efforts strengthen the mental wellbeing and preparedness of volunteer responders, while also raising public awareness and engagement in community safety.
Looking ahead
The project aims to work with partners, stakeholders, and funders to co-create a scalable model of communication for community safety initiatives. This will be adaptable across settings and responsive to the needs of diverse communities.
Full project title
Saving Lives: Strengthening Volunteer Responder Wellbeing and Community Safety
Project team
- Dr Mimi Huang – Project lead
- Professor Monique Lhussier
Highlights
Project Showcase
Strengthening Mental Health Resilience for Volunteer First Responders
(November 2024).
A multi-agency event led by Mimi Huang. Key contributions came from Tommy Richardson (Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service), Nick Ayers (RNLI), Emmalene Charlton (Tyneside and Northumberland Mind), and Matty Starforth (Newcastle City Council). Funded by the Institute of Humanities at Northumbria University, the showcase brought together stakeholders to explore the emotional and psychological needs of volunteer emergency responders in the Waterside Responder Scheme. It explored how communication can be used to strengthen mental health support within community safety training.
The event was attended by representatives from more than 20 partner organisations across emergency services, mental health, public health, education, and local business.
Public Engagement
Community Safety Unlocked: Exploring Risk and Wellbeing at SafetyWorks
(February 2025).
This public engagement event fwas unded by the ESRC Festival of Social Science. It was co-organised by Mimi Huang (Northumbria University), Sarah Schofield, and Lucy Fisher (both from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service).
Held at the SafetyWorks education centre in Newcastle, the event featured interactive activities and discussions focused on everyday safety, mental wellbeing, and the role of communication in building community awareness and responsibility. It was supported by partner agencies including Northumbria Police, Sunderland City Council, Nexus, and the RNLI.
Papers and publications
- “We’re not trained for the trauma”: Mental wellness, emotional resilience, and community safety in volunteer water rescue (Sept 2025).
This is a conference paper by Mimi Huang for the British Association for Applied Linguistics.
The presentation draws on interview data from the Waterside Responder Scheme. It explores how communication shapes mental health experiences in volunteer-led emergency response and how language reflects, mediates, and sometimes obscures emotional needs in high-stress rescue contexts. - Advancing Community Safety and Wellbeing: Building Resilience and Engagement through Communication (forthcoming, Cambridge Elements: Health Communication series, Cambridge University Press, 2027).
The book, authored by Mimi Huang, will draw on collaborative work with Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service. It will feature a case study of the SafetyWorks Centre and insights from the Waterside Responder Scheme.
The book will explore how inclusive, research-informed communication can strengthen mental health resilience, enhance public education, and support community-led approaches to safety and wellbeing.
Project image gallery
Partners and Sponsors
Project classification
Project title is an English project. It belongs to the following research cluster(s):
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