How To Support A Lifeboat Charity

Lifeboat charities do incredible work - they respond to emergencies, spread safety messages, and come to the aid of flood victims. Every year, thousands of people are rescued by lifeboats in seas and rivers around the UK.

These life-saving charities play a hugely important role in keeping people safe, but they couldn't function without the help of volunteers.

WHY VOLUNTEER WITH A LIFEBOAT CHARITY?

Lifeboat charities like the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) not only provide vital rescue services, they also offer education and support to help people stay safe. There are numerous ways you can contribute when you become a volunteer with a lifeboat charity in the UK.

Volunteering is a wonderful way to improve your own life, and the lives of others. You can learn an array of new skills and meet interesting people, all while doing your bit to help a worthwhile cause.

HOW TO HELP LIFEBOAT CHARITIES

Volunteer As A Crew Member

If you want to help on the front line of a lifeboat charity's operation, it doesn't get much more hands on than becoming a crew member. You can do this on-shore by helping to launch boats from a lifeboat station, or off-shore as you help with actual search and rescue missions.

Or As A Lifeguard

The RNLI, the UK's biggest lifeboat charity, also helps to keep beaches safe by providing lifeguards. Covering more than 240 beaches across the UK and Channel Islands, the charity's lifeguards assisted over 30,000 people in 2018 alone, saving around 120 lives in the process. If you're a strong swimmer and runner, and trained in casualty care, this could be the role for you.

Manage A Boat House

If you have excellent organisational and time management skills and enjoy working as part of a team, you could choose to volunteer as a boat house manager for a lifeboat charity. Your role would involve looking after your local lifeboat station and coordinating access for other people involved with the charity, helping support crucial life-saving operations.

Become A Fundraising Branch Secretary

Leading UK lifeboat charities have branches across Britain which are tasked with raising funds. You could get involved with the running of a branch in a secretarial role, or become a member to help with fundraising efforts on a more casual basis, which could be perfect if you have less time to spare.

Or A Press Officer

It's important for lifeboat charities to raise awareness as well as funds. As a volunteer press officer, you could help generate awareness through local media. This could include building and maintaining positive relationships with local newspapers, TV and radio stations and online media outlets, as well as promoting events and newsworthy rescue operations in the press.

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU VOLUNTEER

• If you want to volunteer as an off-shore crew member, you'll need to go through plenty of training, and you may also be asked to cover unsociable hours.

• If your volunteering role requires a lot of training, you'll probably be asked to make a minimum time commitment to the lifeboat charity you get involved with.

WHERE TO GET STARTED

If you want to volunteer with a great lifeboat charity in the UK, you could start by taking a look at the latest opportunities available with the following:

• Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)
• The Lifeboat Fund

HELPING DESERVING CAUSES

If you'd like to know more about getting involved in volunteering in your community, take a look at our Local Causes page and find opportunities near you.

Our players also help a wide range of deserving Charities. They've raised hundreds of millions of pounds for good causes to date. If you'd like to join us in supporting deserving projects, sign up today.