Long-serving North Berwick RNLI volunteer receives King’s Police Medal

As a Sergeant with Police Scotland she has been awarded the King’s Police Medal (KPM) after 28 years of distinguished service in East Lothian, including 15 years as a dog handler, finding missing persons, securing evidence for serious and organised crime investigations whilst protecting Police and public.

Congratulating Rhona, Chief Constable Jo Farrell KPM said: ‘I offer my warmest congratulations to Rhona. These honours are recognition of the skill and hard work of officers and staff who deliver for Scotland’s communities and keep people safe every day.’

Rhona, who started to volunteer with the RNLI as a fundraiser in 1994, said: ‘I’m honoured to receive this award. Policing, RNLI and Paws for Progress are organisations I am immensely proud of. They have enabled me to dedicate my time to work with dogs and people, often during their worst times.’

As the longest serving (since 1997) member of the sea going crew in North Berwick crew members note that they look to Rhona for leadership in everything from organising social events to coordinating fundraising and joint campaigns with other local organisations to promote World Drowning Prevention Day.

Within the RNLI Rhona has also given her time to volunteer as a Lifeboat Press Officer for the past 10 years. Her role as a Police Officer has given her a wealth of experience valued by the crew, especially apparent when working to coordinate resources during multi-agency rescues.

Less well known is her contribution to the RNLI's TRiM team, offering support to volunteers around the country who have experienced traumatic incidents and to the Women in SAR group, supporting newer members of SAR organisations nationally.

Over the years Rhona has always been accompanied to the station with a dog in tow, and her love of canines took her into becoming a Director of Paws for Progress in 2014, delivering the UK’s first prison-based rescue dog training programme to provide educational, therapeutic, and interactive dog-assisted programmes for people most in need of support.

Matthew Gibbons, a fellow volunteer with North Berwick RNLI said; 'A lifeboat crew is something of a family, and Rhona is central to the crew whether organising social events, crew clothing, providing character references or careers advice. She would hate the phrase, but she is something of a matriarch for many of us all at the station. We are very proud of what she has achieved.'

RNLI Media Contacts

For further information, please contact:

Richard Smith, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for Scotland, 07826 900639, [email protected]

Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for Scotland, 07920 365929, [email protected]

Suzanne O’Brien, RNLI Comms Placement for Scotland, 07483 494407, [email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]

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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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