Organised by Casualties UnionSpecial effects makeup transforms our volunteers into realistic casualties with injuries that responders might face in real emergencies. Your donation will go directly towards purchasing high-quality makeup and materials across the country.
Imagine you’re an emergency responder rushing to the scene of a serious accident. The injuries are gruesome, and every decision you make in those first few moments could mean the difference between life and death. The ability to act quickly, stay calm, and respond appropriately to severe trauma is critical—but how do you prepare for that?
Because when the makeup looks real, the training is real. And when the training is real, lives are saved.
At Casualties Union, we provide this vital preparation. Our dedicated volunteers act as simulated casualties, using special effects makeup to replicate everything from burns to broken bones to life-threatening lacerations. The realism of these injuries is key to training emergency responders, helping them experience the intensity of real-life situations in a safe and controlled environment.
But creating these hyper-realistic injuries requires more than just creativity—it requires high-quality special effects makeup and prosthetics that can convincingly portray the full spectrum of trauma. These simulated injuries need to look, feel, and behave like the real thing to truly challenge emergency responders.
That’s why donations for makeup products are so essential. Quality makeup not only enhances the realism of our simulations, but it also ensures consistency and safety for our volunteers. Cheaper alternatives can wear off quickly, break down during the exercise, or fail to provide the accurate depiction of injuries that responders need to experience. The makeup has to with stand a variety of environmental conditions as our volunteers may be acting as casualties both indoors and outdoors!
When a responder treats a casualty with realistic makeup, they engage their skills more fully. They practice bandaging, splinting, and managing wounds with the same urgency and precision they would in a real emergency. They are forced to confront the emotional impact of seeing injuries that look horrifyingly real—giving them the psychological resilience they’ll need in the field.
Your donation will directly support the purchase of these makeup materials - silicone, pieces of simulated bone, alcohol activated paint palettes, runny blood and so much more.
Charities pay a small fee for our service. Learn more about fees
