THE Rapid Relief Team (RRT) has completed its largest ever operation, providing more than 44,000 free hot meals and welfare packs to Police Scotland officers deployed across the country during the high-profile visit by the US President.
The US President made a private visit to Scotland, travelling to his golf resort in Turnberry, Ayrshire, and opening a new golf course in Menie, Aberdeenshire, before he is due to return to the UK for a full state visit and meeting with King Charles III in September. During the visit, the President met with both Prime Minister Keir Starmer and First Minister John Swinney.
For Police Scotland, the visit required the large-scale mobilisation of over 6,000 officers to ensure public safety and security in light of the high-level meetings, as well as public demonstrations surrounding the visit.
Following the visit, Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond said:
“One of the largest operations that we have planned in the history of Police Scotland.”
Over the course of ten days, from 21st to 30th July, over 700 volunteers from the RRT worked together with Police Scotland and mobilised at six different locations across Aberdeenshire, Ayrshire, Edinburgh and Glasgow to cook and serve 18,693 hot meals and refreshments to officers on the job. The volunteers worked across three shifts at all six locations to ensure police officers were well-fed and could sustain high levels of energy throughout the day.
160 RRT volunteers also spent over 640 hours preparing 26,000 welfare packs ahead of the event, which were then distributed to frontline staff at six additional locations across Scotland. Each pack included practical necessities, from protein bars, water bottles and suncream sachets to fruit and chocolate treats, helping officers stay nourished and refreshed over their shifts.
One of the senior police officers involved in the operation praised the RRT’s efforts and said:
“Our operation at Menie would not have been as successful as it was without the support of RRT. The staff and volunteers went above and beyond to look after us and provided an incredible service.”
In total, the RRT’s efforts represented an investment of over £250,000, reflecting both the substantial resources required and the charity’s deep commitment to supporting frontline policing during this major deployment.
The RRT, which is formed of volunteers from the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, has over 10 years’ experience supporting emergency services and vulnerable communities across the UK and worldwide. From major incident response to large-scale public events, the charity regularly steps in to provide hot food, welfare packs and practical support wherever it is needed.
Ross Norman, RRT UK Operations Manager, said:
“We were absolutely honoured to be asked by Police Scotland to assist during this large-scale operation. I’m incredibly proud of every single one of our volunteers who went above and beyond to support police officers working long hours to keep Scotland’s communities safe.
“I hope this successful operation highlights the crucial role that the third sector can play in supporting major deployments and stepping in alongside statutory services to bring additional capacity, deliver practical assistance and help sustain the people on the ground.
“The RRT has been delivering this kind of support for over ten years, but this was by far the largest operation we’ve ever undertaken, and it gave us an opportunity to scale up our work like never before – demonstrating how charities can adapt quickly and deliver effectively even under extraordinary pressures.”
