Sandpiper Trust is a United Kingdom based charity which was established in 2001. Its purpose is to ensure rural clinicians in Scotland are trained and equipped to respond to local emergencies in their communities with the use of the Sandpiper Bag.
Like many successes, Sandpiper Trust was born from underlying tragedy. Sandy Dickson (aged 14 years) died in a tragic accident and emergency services were unable to respond in time and with the appropriate equipment.
In their grief, the Dickson family channelled their efforts into doing some good – to ensure timely help was available to rural communities despite difficulties in geography or available personnel.
Sandpiper was chosen as the name of the charity – the sandpiper being a light-hearted, cheeky bird who plays near water, in memory of Sandy Dickson.
Read more about the Sandpiper Trust (UK) on our History and International Recognition page.
Sandy Dickson – A life saving initiative born out of tragedy
The Sandpiper Trust has provided over 1,500 Sandpiper Bags to rural responders across Scotland. The model is ideal for the remote and rugged country that is Australia.
The ‘tyranny of distance’ means it can take many hours for expert retrieval services to arrive in rural and remote Australia. Rural Generalist doctors, with existing skills in emergency medicine and/or anaesthesia, can help provide much needed care quicker at the side of the trauma. This requires equipment and training.