Aberystwyth Lifeboat Volunteer receives Excellence in Volunteering award
Ian Brandreth has this year been presented with a RNLI, Excellence in Volunteering award, in recognition of his support to stations across Wales during the pandemic.
Ian has been a lifeboat volunteer at Aberystwyth for 18 years serving as crew on the Atlantic and an Arancia Helm.
As a Paramedic Practitioner at Ystwyth Medical Group in his day job, Ian is also the volunteer Lifeboat Medical Advisor (LMA) for the station and it is through this work that he was nominated by Andy Dodd, Area Lifesaving Manager and Stuart Wallace, Regional Lifesaving Lead for his work in providing medical assessments to Lifeboat crews.
Ian assisted stations across Wales from Cardigan in the South right up to Hoylake in England and many between, carrying out medicals for the crews and stations that couldn’t get or didn’t have medical practitioners available to carry out these vital assessments, this was especially the case during the pandemic.
Ian's willingness to travel and carry out this work meant that two stations in Wales were able to continue operating a lifeboat service, and in other stations it meant new crew were able to be brought through and continue their training and commitment. In one station 9 medicals were carried out in one day!
The RNLI recognise that all volunteers contribute a great deal to the organisation and our role in saving lives at sea, however the Excellence in Volunteering Award recognises volunteers who deserve special recognition for going above and beyond in their role and have made a difference to their community.
The award was presented by Andy and Stuart on a training evening at the lifeboat and the award itself is pretty unique because it’s a 3D engraved model our our Station Boat B-822 ‘Spirit of Friendship’.
Ian said “I'm honoured and humbled, I don’t see myself doing any more than any of the other volunteers on station, who all contributed to keeping our lifesaving service running through the pandemic and ensured we were ready for when the restrictions lifted.”.
The station are proud of Ian for the work he does both within our station and others.
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For more information please telephone Paul McCann, RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 09875 789345 or [email protected] or contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.
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The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.
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