RNLI invites three new recruits to play a 'rewarding' role in saving lives at Portsmouth Lifeboat Station

Based in Langstone Harbour, Portsmouth RNLI is one of the busiest stations in the country and plays a key role in keeping people in the Solent safe – last year volunteers launched 54 times, aided 46 people and saved five lives.

Now the RNLI is looking for a new Lifeboat Operations Manager (LOM) to lead the team of volunteers at Portsmouth, oversee the general running of the station and play a crucial part in getting its two state-of-the-art lifeboats launched.

The volunteer LOM role would be ideal for someone who is used to managing a team of people, making decisions under pressure, looking to the future, solving problems and who wants to lead from the front in saving lives at sea.

The RNLI is also looking to recruit two Deputy Launch Authorities (DLAs) at the station to assist the LOM in carrying out the day-to-day management of the station and authorise the launch of the lifeboats.

Mark Southwell, who is LOM at neighbouring Cowes Lifeboat Station, said the most important aspect of the role is providing ‘clear, consistent leadership with thought for the individual – and a smile!’

He said: ‘It’s a privilege to lead committed, willing and happy people. Your role is to create an open, fair and professional culture. I’ll not pretend it’s not a challenge at times. The demands of the role can overwhelm if not managed well.

‘There is support for you from the RNLI, but the most useful day-to-day support is from within your own station. These challenges are what makes it a very rewarding role’.

Max Gilligan, a DLA at Selsey Lifeboat Station, said the role is a great way of being involved in the operational side of the station: ‘It comes with a lot of responsibilities, including taking the initial call from HM Coastguard about an incident they may have ongoing and agreeing the launch of the lifeboat’.

‘As the duty deputy launch authority you get involved in all station matters from exercises to roller shutter doors failing to open. We at Selsey have four DLAs who stand in for the LOM on a regular basis, so we all get experience.’