Volunteering Excellence Recognised
Kinghorn RNLI Lifeboat volunteer Joanne Wibberley has been recognised for her contribution to water safety with a RNLI Excellence in Volunteering award.
Joanne is deputy launching authority, crewmember, and fundraiser at Kinghorn RNLI, and she became a Youth Education Volunteer in 2015. Over the past two years Joanne has presented water safety advice in local schools to over 10,000 children along with local partner agencies.
RNLI Youth Education Manager Becs Miller nominated Joanne for this award and said ‘Joanne has been a huge support and taken a leading role in the Water Safety Scotland (Fife) initiative which resulted in a Safer Communities Award 2016 for Excellence and Innovation – as voted for the people’s choice and is helping us lobby to bring Water Safety onto the Curriculum for Excellence in Scotland.
‘By spending time in the local community and working closely with partner-agencies Joanne has delivered Water Safety education to over 10,000 secondary school children on this project, as well as many primary school visits and life skills events.
‘She has attended workshops, provided invaluable insight and is an advocate for this approach. She led sessions at the recent Youth Education Conference to promote and share the ideas ahead of launch, which has been well received.
‘Joanne continually demonstrates our values – being a selfless, dependable, trustworthy and courageous volunteer who is helping us “future proof” young children through water safety messages and reduce drownings in the future.’
If you would like to find out more about becoming an Education Volunteer with the RNLI, please email [email protected]
Notes to editors
- Kinghorn lifeboat station has been operating since 1965. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to www.rnli.org.uk/kinghorn
- The RNLI offers free sea safety advice at www.rnli.org.uk
- Visits to youth groups can be arranged by visiting https://rnli.org/youth-education/educational-visits
- Attached photo shows Joanne with her award
RNLI media contacts
For more information please telephone Neil Chalmers, RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 07767 380274 or [email protected] or Richard Smith on 07786 668903 or at [email protected] or Henry Weaver [email protected] or contact RNLI Public Relations on 01202 336789
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity 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 146,000 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, 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.