Penarth RNLI volunteers pass out of new training platform

Having passed out during the last year and presented with their crew jumpers in May were George Ewer, Nicola Anderson, Martin Hayes and Robert Edmunds. We caught up with them to ask about their time in the RNLI and the new OCF platform and training.

What is your background and why did you become a volunteer?

Nicky: 'I moved to Wales 3 years ago and wanted to meet new people and learn about the sea. I work with volunteers in the Welsh Ambulance Service and saw the joy people got from volunteering and helping their community and wanted to do my bit too.'

Rob: 'Just being in the outdoors is my happy place. I can remember as a young child seeing the flares go up to call the crew to the Port Eynon Station and over the years I have looked at how I might get involved. It was only after moving to Penarth in 2021 that I was finally living close enough to a station and started as trainee crew in October 2022. The opportunity to help people, while being in an environment I love, just ticks all my boxes.'

George: 'I am a sports physiotherapist and during the Covid times I would walk passed the lifeboat station many times and having moved to the area recently, didn’t know many people and thought that joining the crew would be a great way to make new friends.'

When and at what level did you join and what were your thoughts and aspirations at the time?

Nicky: 'I had no lifeboat experience prior to joining 3 years ago. I did work on a cruise ship in my early 20s, but that was very different, and a long time ago now! When I joined I wanted to learn ‘the ropes’ and hoped I could use my experience as a paramedic to help others.'

Rob: 'I started as trainee crew in October 2022 with the aspiration to help people at sea, meet more local people and have fun at the same time. And it’s fair to say I love it!'

What are the stages of your Tier 1 training and when did you start?

George: 'I started in the station training from October 2021 and passed my Tier 1 in 2023 so I have been on the Tier 2 pathway for some months now.'

Nicky: 'Tier 1 comes after you are deemed to be safe on station and safe to go to sea. There’s lots to learn but it’s also all the parts that make you a useful crew member. My teaching was mainly at station level, which was fantastic as the helms, crew and assessor are brilliant, but I’ve also been on some courses at the RNLI college in Poole. It was great to meet trainees from other stations and learn new skills there too.'

Rob: 'As one of the first trial stations for the new Operational Competency Framework, I started straight onto the Tier 1 training programme, once cleared as safe on station. From there it was Personal Protective Equipment, Knots and Boat Layout before I was able to go afloat for training. After that I needed to complete the 2 day Crew Emergency Procedures course at the RNLI College in Poole and become proficient in Launch & Recovery, Berthing, Anchoring & Veering and Radio etc.'

What is the most difficult/challenging aspect of your training?

George: 'Not having a nautical back ground, it can be a lot learning everything from scratch. There is a lot of repetition so as to be able to retain the knowledge and for it to become embedded in what we do.'

Nicky: 'Learning all of the terms and techniques has been challenging and then remembering it all! I haven’t learnt a new skill in years and it makes you think and get your brain working. It’s also physically hard work, but I’m loving it.'

Rob: 'The most challenging and dangerous procedure is Veering (backing the boat onto difficult shoreline through breaking waves). Not only are there some big hazards, lines under load, finger entrapment, taking the boat through the surf line, etc... It’s also very physically demanding.'

What are the best bits about volunteering?

George: 'Being part of a community and helping others. It has also helped me to find such good friendships too!'

Nicky: 'Giving back is definitely a benefit of volunteering, but selfishly it's also meeting new people and making lifelong friends! Plus I met my now fiancé through volunteering for the charity. For me, that’s the best bit!'

Rob: 'Being able to help people in their moment of need, being part if something that means so much to the local community and the real sense of one crew at the station, all of us coming together to save lives at sea.'

What's next?

George, Nicky and Rob: 'Tier 2 is next!'

Rob: 'It’s non-stop. There’s always more to learn, plus practicing what we’ve already learnt.'

Notes to editors

· To learn more about Penarth Lifeboat Station please visit: https://www.facebook.com/RNLIPenarth

· Photo Credits: RNLI/Kath Fisher

· https://rnli.org/support-us/volunteer

Media contacts
For more information please contact Penarth RNLI Lifeboat Press Officer, Nick White on 07818 680 667 or [email protected].

Alternatively you can contact Claire Fitzpatrick-Smith, Regional Communications Manager on [email protected] or 07977 728 315, or the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789 / [email protected].

RNLI online

For more information, please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the RNLI News Centre.

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 over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and, in a normal year, 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.

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.