Newquay RNLI volunteer recognised in Queen’s Birthday Honours
Gareth Horner, volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager at Newquay RNLI has been been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for his contribution to saving lives at sea.
Three long standing volunteers have been recognised by the RNLI’s Patron, Her Majesty The Queen, including Cornish volunteer Gareth Horner, who has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
Gareth has volunteered with the charity for 47 years and spent the last 17 as the Lifeboat Operations Manager (LOM) at Newquay Lifeboat Station.
As an integral part of Newquay Lifeboat Station since first joining as a volunteer in 1974, Gareth has served as lifeboat crew, shore crew, launch authority and now LOM. During his service, Newquay have saved more than 100 lives as one of the RNLI’s busiest lifeboat stations.
Gareth encourages his fellow volunteers to embrace new training developments within the lifesaving world and has overseen the introduction of two new lifeboats at the station (the D-class and Atlantic 85). Since 2009, Gareth has worked on local initiatives such as Newquay Safe to ensure young people are made aware of the dangers of the coast. Initiatives like these are credited with vastly reducing the number of serious injuries and deaths.
Gareth said: ‘This award reflects the hard work and dedication of the whole team at Newquay Lifeboat Station. Without them I would have never been nominated in the first place or done what we have achieved.
‘Neither would it have happened without the love, support and understanding from my wife, Shirley. I am one small cog in the machine that is the RNLI, particularly at Newquay Lifeboat Station.’
‘The resilience and ingenuity of our volunteers over the last 15 months has continued to amaze me and these three personify the very best RNLI values in their ongoing commitment to our cause. It is particularly pleasing to see our visits, water safety and fundraising volunteers recognised alongside our operational crew.
‘On behalf of everyone at the RNLI, my congratulations to you all and thank you for everything you do to help save lives at sea.’
Notes to editors
- Photo Gareth Horner, Newquay RNLI. Credit: Tim Stevens
- For more information on how to volunteer for the RNLI, go to RNLI.org/support-us/volunteer
- To donate to the RNLI, go to RNLI.org/GoDonate
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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 142,700 lives.
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