The 100-year-old RNLI volunteer with 70 years of service

Starting her RNLI voluntary journey in 1956 at age 30, Helen Daniels became part of the Lifeboat Guild at Great Yarmouth and Gorleston Lifeboat Station. The Guild raises vital funds for the RNLI and aids its mission of saving lives at sea.

Despite turning 100-years-old on 26 March 2026, Helen remains an active member of the Guild and the RNLI community.

Helen said: ‘I don’t want to sit and do nothing.’ She now helps raise funds through coffee mornings and selling raffle tickets.

Reflecting on her 70 years of volunteering, Helen said: ‘The support [from the RNLI] that I’ve had has been tremendous, and it’s lovely to meet everyone who volunteers. I’ve made lifelong friends. The public, too, are excellent and are a highlight.’

Helen encouraged people to volunteer for the RNLI: ‘Come to a meeting and see what it is about. You’ll be very welcome.’

Originally, Helen collected door-to-door donations in Hemsby village. Inspired by her involvement in the Guild, people aided her efforts and fundraised in a further 14 local villages. Helen recalled working closely with her husband, Ernest, and her fellow volunteer fundraisers to promote the RNLI as much as possible.

Since volunteering for the charity, Helen has seen the RNLI evolve. In her 70 years of service, the Great Yarmouth and Gorleston Lifeboat Station has had six all-weather lifeboats, and 13 inshore lifeboats. She has also witnessed the progression in lifeboat technology and the introduction of digital fundraising. Additionally, Helen has kept record of how much she has helped to raise for the RNLI since 1956, and revealed the figure is around one million pounds.

Volunteers’ Week, established in 1984, celebrates volunteer work across the UK. Encouraging people to support a voluntary cause, Volunteers’ Week shared that ‘14.2 million people in the UK have formally volunteered at least once a month’ and that it can improve wellbeing.

Notes to editors

· Link to photos here.

· Link to Volunteers’ Week UK website here.

RNLI Media Contacts

For further information, please contact:

Emma Holly, RNLI National Communications Placement, [email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.