RNLI lifesaving mums celebrate Mother’s Day across the South East
While mothers around the country look forward to a day of relaxation and family time, mums volunteering with the RNLI across Kent, Sussex and Hampshire are on call, ready to leave plans at a moment’s notice to save lives at sea
Sheena Crawley, volunteer shore crew and family liaison officer at Dungeness RNLI, has been volunteering with the RNLI over the last 18 years. Sheena volunteers with her partner Marc, and daughter Steph. Sheena and Marc started volunteering at Littlestone RNLI over 18 years ago, with Sheena volunteering as a tractor driver, and Marc as an inshore-lifeboat helm.
When her parents were out on a shout, daughter Steph would often spend time at Littlestone RNLI, watching them saving lives at sea. Steph was inspired to start volunteering with the RNLI, and joined Dungeness RNLI as shore crew on her 18th birthday.
Sheena said: ‘Being a mum and volunteering can be a tough balancing act – especially when you add things like work and family life into the equation. At Dungeness, we have nine mums volunteering with us in roles from lifeboat crew, operations managers to shop volunteers.
Selsey RNLI have two mums on their lifeboat crew. Kristina Staples and Emily Sharman both volunteer on the station’s lifeboats. Kristina has been volunteering as shore crew at Selsey RNLI for over 11 years and joined the lifeboat crew two years ago. Kristina is celebrating her second Mother’s Day.
Emily Sharman, volunteer lifeboat crew at Selsey RNLI, said: 'After joining the RNLI a year ago, my two children (who are 3 and 5) have been excited about my volunteering. They enjoy seeing the lifeboats launch on exercise and often ask what I learnt on the boat after a training session. When the pager goes off and I’m shooting out the door they shout “Go Mummy!”’
On the Isle of Wight, Penny has been volunteering with Cowes RNLI for over six years as inshore-lifeboat crew. Penny volunteers with her partner Jack, who is an inshore-lifeboat helm. Penny's son Ben is inspired every time his mum goes out on the lifeboat, and hopes to follow in his mum’s footsteps, and join the crew when old enough!
Penny Jeffcoate, volunteer lifeboat crew, said ‘The crew at Cowes are a huge help to me. They have been extremely supportive and have occasionally picked up my son from nursery when we are out on a shout!’.
A role model to her two young daughters and an advocate for empowering women in search and rescue, Lexi Obee-Kendall recently passed out as Mudeford RNLI’s first tractor driver. Not only is she behind the tractor steering wheel, she’s also Mudeford’s Lifeboat Medical Advisor, works as a GP, is a single mum, a keen swimmer and singer.
Lexi said: ‘My girls are 7 and 8 now, and they think it’s cool. My little one tells me that some of her friends say: ‘I saw your mummy driving the big tractor at the weekend’ and she thinks that’s cool. But they’ve grown up around the station, so they don’t really know any different.’
Notes to editors
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97% of the RNLI’s frontline lifesavers are volunteers, including 5,700 volunteer lifeboat crew members at stations around the UK and Ireland. Without our incredible volunteer lifesavers, the RNLI could not provide a 24/7 lifesaving service.
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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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