Portsmouth RNLI crews support fellow volunteer in his fight against cancer

Southsea local resident, and a highly experienced sailing instructor with The Hamble School of Yachting, Andy has become a hugely popular volunteer at Portsmouth RNLI, where he has been a Launch Authority for over six years. Despite being diagnosed with advanced Prostate Cancer in 2020, whilst undergoing treatment Andy has continued to dedicate as much energy as possible to helping train volunteer lifeboat crews, whilst also continuing to hold the emergency callout pager as Launch Authority, until only very recently.

Sadly, at the end of 2025, Andy was advised by oncologists that he was coming to the end of what the NHS could do for further treatment. He had however, learned of a revolutionary treatment that is available, privately: Lutetium-177, a targeted radionuclide therapy is designed to deliver radiation directly to cancer cells while minimising damage to healthy tissue. Demonstrating the courage and determination for which he has become known at the lifeboat station, Andy resolved to try and raise the £80,000 necessary to fund this treatment, by launching his own fundraising campaign, through ‘gofundme’.

On launching his campaign, in November 2025, Andy said: 'I LOVE life. Every time I stand in front of my sailing students I feel alive; every time I walk into the Lifeboat Station, I want to help support the saving of lives at Sea; every day I get to treasure with Polly and our beloved family and friends, I just want to make more memories. Extra time would mean so much. And, if it is to be the last phase of my life, I would also like to play my part in testing a pioneering treatment that could potentially help 1000’s of others in the years to come. All of my doctors have been outstanding, and have worked so hard to help us, and if some data about my treatment path can help others in the future, we feel that is also worth fighting for.'

Speaking of his close friend and fellow volunteer, senior lifeboat helm and local business director Neil Maxwell said: 'Andy is hugely respected at Portsmouth RNLI, and he epitomises the Charity’s core values of Selflessness, Trustworthiness, Dependability and Courage. When we learned of his new challenge to raise this daunting amount of money, everyone on the crew wanted to do anything possible to help.'

Fellow volunteers have organised sponsored cake bakes, a football match against Waitrose - where Andy worked for over 30 years and there is even a sponsored ‘channel swim’ planned to take place in a local swimming pool in the Spring.

Neil went on to say, 'I knew that many of the volunteer crew at RNLI Portsmouth have some fantastic local business contacts, and so it seemed a natural idea to organise a special gala dinner to help raise funds to go towards Andy’s treatment. It is so typical of Andy that, at the start of the evening, he urged everyone to leave their troubles at the door and focus on having fun, and I am so grateful to the team at the Queens Hotel in Southsea for laying on such a memorable evening. Additionally, there is no way it would have been so successful without the brilliant support of my colleagues at Fry & Kent, as well as staff at JWS Marine Services and Plastic Paint Shop, all of whom sponsored tables for the dinner.'

The evening was given extra swing, with music performed by the exciting local orchestra, Rhythm and Fuse. Whilst the main aim of the evening was clearly to help raise funds towards Andy’s next treatment, there was a much wider, equally important priority.

Reflecting afterwards, Andy said: 'Throughout the years I have been fighting this cancer, I have been both humbled and uplifted by the unflinching support and love that I have received from the amazing band of my fellow lifeboat volunteers at the Portsmouth Lifeboat Station. I will never be able to thank them enough for their generosity in helping my GoFundme campaign. Whilst this evening was about us getting together and trying to look beyond my cancer challenges, however, I cannot overstress the equal importance of the evening in raising awareness of Prostate Cancer and doing everything possible to encourage all men over the age of 40 to get themselves tested; caught early enough, this cancer can be beaten!'

Notes to Editors:

· All funds raised are in support of Andy Gissing and not for the RNLI.

· Anyone wishing to donate can go to Andy’s gofundme page at: Fundraiser by Andy Gissing : THE FIGHT FOR MY LIFE CONTINUES

· There is no national screening programme for Prostate Cancer, and currently between 1 in 6 and 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer during their lives.

· Whilst Prostate Cancer occurs more commonly in men over the age of 50, men over 40 – and especially those with any family history of the disease – are encouraged to visit their GP and ask to be tested.

· Over 64,000 new cases of Prostate Cancer are diagnosed each year and, on average, 12,000 men will die, annually (33 men EVERY day).

· Prostate Cancer survival rates improve significantly with early diagnosis.

· The RNLI role of volunteer Launch Authority (LA) forms a key part of go/no go decision-making process for launching a lifeboat. The LA is a critical link between the 999 call handlers at HM Coastguard, and the Coxswain, or Helm of the Lifeboat.

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The RNLI is the charity that 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 146,700 lives.

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