Tim – RNLI Volunteer Helm and Assessor at Teddington Lifeboat Station
I have been a lifeboat volunteer crew for more than 20 years, and I was one of the founder members of Teddington station.
The station operates 24/7 and is run entirely by volunteers who live within three minutes of the building. All volunteers have a pager, and when it goes off, we run, cycle or drive to the station to get changes into our kit and launch th elifeboat. We respond to emergencies in around 15 minutes anywhere on our patch of the Thames from Richmond Lock to Hampton Court or Molesey Lock.
I decided to volunteer because the sea has been an important part of my life, both spending time afloat with my family or working on the water in different capacities, so when the opportunity came up to volunteer as a lifeboat crew on the Thames, I took it, as it was something I really wanted to do. I am also passionate about teaching other people lifesaving skills and helping the community, and my role allows me to share my knowledge with others so we can prevent people from drowning.
Check out Tim’s video below!
More about RNLI in London
RNLI has over 230 operational volunteers in London, and they are supported by 600 engagement volunteers who fundraise and deliver water safety messages across the capital.
RNLI lifeboats have been operating on the Thames since 2 January 2002 from their lifeboat stations at Chiswick, Teddington, Tower and Gravesend, responding to nearly 1,000 callouts annually. Last year, they had 947 launches, aided 263 people, and saved 24 lives.
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Are you feeling inspired?
By volunteering, you could be one of London’s lifelines.