VOLUNTEER CREW (of the future)
Crew Recruitment
The men and women of the Helensburgh Lifeboat crew are all volunteers.
They willingly give up their free time to attend regular training sessions, and to be available at any time of day and night, 365 days a year, to help others.
In their own way, they are Helensburgh Heroes.
Very few of our crew are marine professionals, but what they share is a commitment and an enthusiasm to be part of a service that has been saving lives at sea for nearly 200 years.
They may be ‘amateurs’, but the training they receive is second to none - just ask any of the hundreds of people who have been rescued from the sometimes hostile waters of the Firth of Clyde by the crews of the Helensburgh Lifeboat since the station was established in 1965.
What potential crew men or women need to be able to offer:
- Live or work, ideally both, in Helensburgh or Rhu.
- Commit to attending regular training sessions.
- Be able to ‘drop everything’ and immediately respond to a Lifeboat Call.
- Demonstrate a real commitment to the Lifeboat Service.
- Pass a Medical and Eyesight Test.
- Be physically fit.
- Pass a probationary period that usually lasts for one year.
The minimum age to join an RNLI lifeboat crew is 18. The normal retiral age for inshore lifeboat crew members is 45.
What crew members get in return:
- Woken from a deep sleep in the middle of a cold night and sent out in an open Lifeboat for three hours.
- Put through a rigorous training regime.
- Summer Barbecue.
- Christmas Dinner.
- The chance to use their skills to really help people, and maybe save someone’s life.
Is it worth it? - definitely.
Current Crew Opportunities
At present Helensburgh Lifeboat has a full crew list, but if you think you might be interested in joining when a vacancy occurs, and can meet all the criteria, come along and meet the Lifeboat Operations Manager and the crew on a Sunday morning.
Other ways to help:
For other ways in which you can help the Lifeboats, please see the 'Fundraising' page on our web site.