Ed Sheeran drummer and Chiswick RNLI Crew member in RNLI 200 voices podcast
On 13 September Chiswick volunteer and professional musician Mark Pusey talks about his passion for the RNLI and the surprising similarities between his volunteering role and going out on stage with big name acts.
Mark’s enthusiasm started when he was five and watched a lifeboat launching into rough seas.
Many years later he joined the crew at Chiswick on the River Thames, a role he fits in with his job as a professional musician.
Currently he is the drummer in Ed Sheeran’s band on his world tour and has also played alongside Elton John and Tom Jones.
In today's episode of 200 Voices, Mark describes the similar feedback he gets from two very different roles.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s (RNLI) new 200 Voices podcast launched on Friday 18 August 2023 and, in the run-up to the charity’s bicentenary on 4 March 2024, an episode will be released every day for 200 days, exploring captivating stories from the charity’s history, through to the current day.
The charity has been saving lives at sea since it was founded in 1824 and, in that time, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 144,000 lives. Funded by voluntary donations, and with lifeboats crewed by specially-trained volunteers, the RNLI is a truly unique rescue organisation with a remarkable 200-year story to tell – many highlights of which are shared through the podcast series.
Available across all podcast platforms and the RNLI’s website, listeners can hear from survivors, supporters, volunteers, lifeguards, celebrity ambassadors, historians and many more from across the UK and Ireland – and beyond.
On 29 September another Chiswick volunteer Ella du Breuil describes her commitment to the RNLI starting when she was 17.
Ella became the youngest certified helm on the inshore Atlantic lifeboat when she was 18.
She talks about how her experience on the RNLI’s E-class jet boats at Chiswick enabled her to helm ribs in the Antarctic.
Ella emphasises the benefits of transferrable skills between her job as a full time paramedic in the London Ambulance service with rescuing people on the Thames.
The 200 Voices series also includes celebrity ambassadors such as The Sixth Commandment actor Timothy Spall, Gavin and Stacey actress Ruth Jones, Irish musician Phil Coulter, gold medal Olympian Sir Ben Ainslie and BAFTA-winning actress Joanna Scanlan.
Launch into a podcast like no other: Listen to the RNLI’s 200 Voices daily wherever you get your podcasts or at RNLI.org/200Voices.
Key facts about the RNLI
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.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.