Former Alderney Lifeboat Crew Member elected to the Board of The RNLI Council

Mark, who was a crew member on the Roy Barker I in Alderney for eleven years from 2006 to 2017, was elected for an initial term of three years at the RNLI Annual General Meeting in Poole on the 19th July 2018.

Mark Wordsworth said “Now that I have handed in my pager and can no longer go to sea on the Roy Barker I am very excited to be able to contribute to the work of this amazing charity by sitting on the RNLI Council.”

The fundamental role of the Council is to appoint the RNLI Trustees and to provide an advisory function to the Trustees and the Executive Team on policy and strategy issues facing the RNLI and to act as ambassadors for the Institution.

Coxswain, Declan Gaudion said “It is wonderful that someone from our own crew now has a position on the RNLI Council and hopefully can be a voice for Alderney and other more remote lifeboat stations who often face different challenges.”

At Alderney Lifeboat Station on the evening of the 10th August a presentation was held with members of the Alderney Lifeboat crew and committee to thank Mark for his service.

Stuart Trought, Chairman of the Alderney Branch said “Mark is somebody who really has got genuine interest in the RNLI and has shown great dedication. The RNLI in its inimitable manner have awarded you with a certificate of service which says a little about what you have achieved in your lifeboating career, it's the part that we have all been involved with and it has been a privilege for us to have sailed with you.”

Mark Wordsworth said “Genuinely, this has been one of the greatest things that I have ever done in my life. I wish I had joined earlier, have stayed longer and made more of a contribution. I went to sea with some amazing people and learned everything that I know about the sea from my RNLI training in Alderney for which I am extremely grateful. I do miss it, it leaves a hole in my life and that is why I put myself forward for the RNLI Council.”

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.

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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

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