
Littlestone volunteer Dean Miller reaches 20 years of saving lives at sea
Dean Miller started helping out with the RNLI at the age of 11. Now he is receiving a long service award for saving lives at sea for 20 years
Dean started his RNLI career proper on 24 June 2004 as a 16-yr-old, training first as shore crew before moving to lifeboat crew when he was 17-yrs-old. After a year and a half, Dean's parents moved house a few miles down the coast to Littlestone and Dean moved station. His other grandfather was also an RNLI volunteer at Littlestone for many years so Dean was set on a well trodden family path! He has now spent 18 and a half years as a volunteer on the lifeboat crew at Littlestone with 12 years as a helm. Dean is also a lifeboat trainer assessor and enjoys helping others to learn what they need to be lifeboat crew. That includes everything from their role on the boat to using radar in searches.
Apart from volunteering with the RNLI, Dean is also the owner and landlord of the nearby New Romney pub The Plough and also the busy TGM's cafe at Camber Sands. Dean said, ‘I am proud to have served as a volunteer on the Romney Coast for this great charity, the RNLI, for 20 years - which is exactly one tenth of the RNLI’s 200 year history. It has been an honour to be able to receive this medal for long service in such an important year for the RNLI.’
'I always knew I would volunteer for the RNLI when I was old enough. Doing something for your community is such a worthwhile way to spend your time, and I'm proud to be walking in my grandfathers' footsteps.'
'Working as a team with like-minded people is brilliant and our crew is like family to me.'
The picture below shows Dean and his good friend Josh Spiers at Folkestone Harbour. They had been on a shout and took the opportunity for a quick photo on the deckchair. Josh also has some celebrating to do as he passed out as a Helm last week. Dean's 20th anniversary and Josh's pass out represent a huge amount of work and commitment. Interestingly, both volunteers say that their most memorable shout out of the many hundreds they have been on was the same one. About five years ago they responded to a tasking and rescued a mother and child on a paddleboard that had drifted some miles out in the Channel. The satisfaction in saving lives at sea is what motivates our volunteers.
RNLI media contacts
- John Kenny, Lifeboat Press Officer, Littlestone Lifeboat Station on 07747-033443 john[email protected]
- Julie Rainey, RNLI Regional Communications Lead on 07827 358256 [email protected]
- Hatti Mellor, RNLI Regional Communications Manager (London/East/South East) on 07724 801305 [email protected]
- For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789 or [email protected]
- 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 142,700 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
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, Twitter 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.