Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue Service wins The King's Award for Voluntary Service
GAFIRS has been going since 1969 and has saved hundreds of lives
Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue Service has been recognised with The King's Award for Voluntary Service, the highest honour a voluntary group can receive in the UK.
The award is regarded as the equivalent of an MBE for the organisation and recognises the extraordinary contribution volunteers in the lifeboat service make to their local communities.
Gafirs is an independent lifeboat service based at Stokes Bay, Gosport, and is one of just 250 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups across the UK to receive the award in 2026.
The organisation was founded in 1969, and its unpaid volunteers are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, responding whenever HM Coastguard requests their assistance.
The lifeboat service is entirely independent, relying on public donations and fundraising to keep its crews trained, equipped and ready to respond.
As well as its lifesaving work, the charity delivers water safety education in the local community, and helps young people learn vital rescue and first aid skills through its cadet programme.
Joanne Young, chair at Gafirs, said: “I'm over the moon, absolutely over the moon, for our cadets, for our boat crew, for everybody that does work for us on a volunteer basis. Without them, we wouldn't have got it.
“And I thank the community because without the community, we can't operate, and it's the community that really recommended us.
“This year we are approaching 100 rescues in The Solent and surrounding waters and our volunteer crews are called into action at all times of the day or night.
“I think dedication, commitment, empathy, and understanding, that’s why people volunteer with us. When we go out we work as a team, and we’ve got a very good team that work together, from the board of directors, to our coxswains, crews and cadets.”
The organisation was nominated for the award by people in the local community, who recognise the amazing efforts that the volunteers put in to keep people safe at sea.
One woman who recommended the charity has had personal experience with the good that GAFIRS volunteers do. Ann Beach, who lives in Heathrow, does a lot of fundraising for the charity after the crews assisted her son, Patrick Beach, when he got into trouble in the water.
“My Patrick, he fell off of a boat and the propeller struck his head,” said Ms Beach.
“Gafirs were called to help rescue him. One of the crew went on the helicopter with him, and he was taken to Southampton Hospital. I was just outside of London, so it was quite a journey to get there.
“Sadly he passed away that night, but if it wasn't for the Gafirs, we wouldn't have had the time with our Patrick to tell him how much he's loved.
“It's been 15 years, but I keep in contact with them and they keep informed on everything with the cadets and what they do in schools and it's become really like my extended family. It's a privilege to actually be part of the community. They named a boat after Patrick too.
“I admire what they do themselves, volunteering to go out at sea, to risk their own life. They’ve got families back at home but they chose to risk their own to save someone's life, or to bring them home to shore safely. I just admire them in what they do. It's just everything.
“That's why I put them forward for this award because of all the hard work they do, not just in their own very own community, but it reaches out further. Gafirs has actually helped me on my road after losing Patrick. It helps me to think, there's so much good out there which we don't see every day. They’ve really helped me on my journey.”
Representatives from GAFIRS will receive the award crystal and certificate from the Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire, the King's representative in the county, in the coming months.
Two of the charity's volunteers will also be invited to attend a Royal Garden Party in 2027 alongside other recipients of this year's award.