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All grown up: Storm Force members who became crew members
A Storm Force membership can inspire a love for lifeboats, the sea and water safety – so much so that many of our past members are now RNLI volunteers! We caught up with some of them and they told us what they loved about being a Storm Force member – and why the next generation of lifesavers will love it too!
A club for future lifesavers
There’s so much for children to enjoy with Storm Force, the RNLI’s very own club for under 9s.
When you sign up on behalf of your child, they’ll receive an exclusive membership pack to welcome them to the crew. They’ll get four issues of Storm Force magazine every year, which is packed with fun activities, cool comics, thrilling rescue stories, water safety advice, and much more. Plus, they’ll get access to our online Crew Room with lots of awesome games and videos!
With many of today’s crew having memberships as kids, there’s no denying that Storm Force can inspire a lifelong interest in the RNLI. Let’s hear from five RNLI volunteers who all have fond memories of being a part of this unique and special club …
Guy Addington, Margate Crew Member and Regional Water Safety Lead
Having been fascinated by the lifeboats in Storm Force magazine as a child, it feels surreal that I’ve now been part of the RNLI family for 30 years. I’ve been on the crew at Margate for all that time, and for the past 25 years I’ve worked as a regional water safety lead across the south-east of the UK.
I vividly remember following the story of two brand new lifeboat prototypes, which spanned across a few issues of the magazine. Initially they trialled a bright yellow paint that resembled the colour of a hi-vis jacket, although that idea was quickly scrapped in favour of the traditional lifeboat orange – much to everyone’s relief! These lifeboat prototypes went on to become the Severn and Trent classes of all-weather lifeboat that we know today. I remember loving the idea of driving a lifeboat one day, so to have that dream come true and to still be doing it today is an amazing feeling.
My role at the RNLI has taught me so much about how important it is for young people to have access to water safety advice, which is why Storm Force magazine is so brilliant. It’s a fabulous introduction to the RNLI and it teaches children so much about staying safe by the water and at the beach.
The magazine is also packed with puzzles, inspirational stories and fun facts, which my daughter Elodie loves – she’s now a Storm Force member, just like I was! It’s really special that Storm Force is now something we can enjoy together.
Brendan Rooney, Crew Member at Newcastle RNLI
I grew up near Newcastle Harbour and quite a few people in my family volunteered on the lifeboat, so I was always interested in the RNLI. I used to love reading Storm Force magazine, especially all the interesting facts about the lifeboats and the brilliant rescue stories. It got me even more excited to join the lifeboat crew when I was finally old enough!
I’m proud to have volunteered at Newcastle Lifeboat Station for over 30 years in a variety of roles, including all-weather lifeboat crew, inshore lifeboat crew, casualty carer and navigator. One rescue that I’ll never forget was in 1999, where we saved five people who had fallen into the water while fishing. With treacherous gale force 7 winds, it was a huge relief to bring them to safety. Crew Member Mark Poland and I were both awarded a Chair Letter of Thanks for the rescue, which was a real honour. The rescue even ended up featuring in an issue of Storm Force magazine which, after reading so many rescue stories as a child, felt like a real full circle moment for me.
Pamela Leitch, Helm and Lifeboat Training Coordinator at Larne RNLI
After being a Storm Force member as a child, I now volunteer at Larne Lifeboat Station and have done so for 17 years. I’m an inshore lifeboat (ILB) helm, a crew member on our Trent class lifeboat, and I’m also heavily involved with training here at the station in my role as lifeboat training coordinator.
I really enjoyed reading the magazine, so it’s great that kids today can enjoy it too – there’s so much to learn and be inspired by in every issue.
I used to love reading the back page of the magazine, which always featured a recent rescue story. I always thought it would be really cool to be part of rescues like that, and now I am!
Lochlainn Leneghan, Helm at Newcastle RNLI
Storm Force is a real-life superhero magazine. It made me appreciate all the people in our local communities who could be out at sea saving lives right now. It’s one of the reasons I was inspired to become a crew member myself. Today I volunteer at Newcastle Lifeboat Station, where I’m all-weather lifeboat crew and helm of our D class lifeboat.
The RNLI has been in my family for generations – my cousin Nathan and I are both fifth generation volunteers at Newcastle. My great-grandfather was on the crew and was involved in an incredible rescue, where he helped save 39 people from a ship that had run aground in perilous conditions. That very rescue was transformed into a comic for Storm Force magazine – I remember thinking how cool it was to see a rescue he was part of come to life!
Nathan Leneghan, Launching Authority at Newcastle RNLI
Like my cousin Lochlainn, I’m a volunteer at Newcastle Lifeboat Station. I started 13 years ago as shore crew but am now a launching authority.
My father was a crew member and signed me up to be a Storm Force member when I was just a toddler. As I got older, he would tell me all kinds of stories from his time out on Newcastle lifeboat, so I’d always look forward to receiving my next Storm Force magazine to read about rescues at other stations too.
As well as the games and rescue stories, Storm Force was a great way to learn how to stay safe by the water. I think it’s brilliant that the magazine is still helping to provide kids with vital skills that will set them up for life.
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