RNLI volunteer in Cromer warns the charity is struggling to attract more people
It comes on the 200th birthday of the emergency service
A volunteer for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in Cromer is telling us that they're struggling to attract more people to the charity - due to the large-scale commitment being a volunteer requires.
The warning comes on the 200th birthday of the emergency service, which is kept afloat by donations and has eight stations across Norfolk and North Suffolk.
To mark the event, a service is being held in Westminster to acknowledge the group's lifesaving work, which is kept afloat by donations.
"It really does ask a lot for people to become a member”
Richard Annis, chairman of Cromer Station, revealed: “It is increasingly more difficult to attract people because it is such a big commitment.
"Training is done twice a week, and you're on call. A lot of people don’t realise that is it not just that one member that joins the crew, it’s a whole family.
“For example, you could be having a nice meal in a restaurant with your family and your alarm goes off. What do you do? You leave!
"It can be a huge interruption on family life, so it really does ask a lot for people to become a member.
“Being a coastal town, people would probably assume that we have lots of volunteers, but the restrictions mean that we have 10 minutes from when the crew’s pager goes off to when we should be in the water. Folks must live within a narrow area around the town.”
"Standing there is quite the experience”
The RNLI provides an important role saving people at sea and on beaches.
Despite this work, Annis tells us teaching children about their work is the most rewarding part about being a volunteer for the group: “It's great having those school children because they ask questions that sometimes are straight forward to answer but sometimes, they stretch your knowledge and capacity.”
When asked his favourite memory in his twenty plus years of volunteer experience, Annis said “Standing on the slipway because I spent a lot of time as short crew, which means helping to launch and recover the boat, on a very cold, wet, and windy night at about 3 in the morning.
"Standing there is quite the experience.”
Norwich Cathedral is holding a memorial service for the RNLI on March 17th.