A team that provides vital help to find vulnerable missing people has been chosen as the KentOnline charity of the year for 2015.

Kent Search and Rescue is the lowland version of a mountain rescue team - helping to search for those missing people at their greatest time of need.

Every year, around 9,000 people are reported to Kent Police as "missing".

Those that are classed as "vulnerable" - for example, children; elderly, confused, depressed or suicidal people; those suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's; or victims of crime - often need urgent help.

It's KSAR that is called upon to locate them and transfer them to a place of safety.

Kent Search and Rescue is always available - 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.

The lowland team has been called out 82 times so far this year, bringing the total to date to 677.

But searching for missing people isn't the only thing they do.

Remember the floods last winter? KSAR's Flood Rescue Team helped evacuate stranded people in the worst-hit areas of the county.

But the service costs nothing to those helped in their hour of need - or any of us as taxpayers.

Kent Search and Rescue is a Registered Charity (no.1091181) and its dedicated, highly-trained members are all unpaid volunteers. No wages, no expenses, no government funding is involved.

KSAR is funded by kind donations from the people of Kent - proudly claiming they are 100% volunteers and 100% professional.

We will be running stories on the charity throughout 2015, explaining more about the invaluable work of the team, and how they touch the lives of many Kent people.