Carrickfergus couple keen to inspire others through ‘rewarding’ RNLI roles

The saving lives at sea charity is looking for new members to join its dedicated crew in Larne and Carrickfergus.

Victoria and Trevor Doyle have been volunteers with the Carrickfergus and Whitehead fundraising branch for over seven years but their involvement goes back much further than that.

Trevor explains: ”Our story goes back four generations now with the family going to Portrush on holidays. Victoria’s mum and dad would always visit the lifeboat station in Portrush and donate money in the box that slides directly into the station itself and then we were encouraged and continued to do that with our son and now he does that with his own family.

"When we attended the raft race in Whitehead some years ago, we got chatting to a couple of volunteers who were doing a collection and they invited us along to one of their meetings and we have been working as fundraising volunteers since then.”

Because it is not attached to a lifeboat station, Trevor says some people don’t realise that there is a Carrickfergus and Whitehead fundraising branch, but he would like to see more people get involved.

Kitted Out

“Personally, I find it rewarding. From where we are in Carrickfergus you can often see the Bangor and Larne lifeboats when they are out, and it is satisfying to know what we are doing is helping to keep the lifeboat crew kitted out and safe and that we are contributing to saving lives at sea.

"We are a small branch and would love to see new faces come along and join us and share new ideas. Not only are you helping to raise funds but there is chat and the social side of coming together to be enjoyed.”

Volunteers are at the heart of the RNLI and make up 95% of its people.

Mary Creedon, RNLI Fundraising Partnership lead, hailed the work of people like Trevor and Victoria: “Without our volunteers, the RNLI simply would not be able to operate the way it does today. With 92% of the RNLI’s income coming from donations, the charity relies on the generosity of supporters and on the dedication of our fundraising volunteers to help raise essential funds.

Wide Range

"Thousands of community fundraising volunteers organise a wide range of activities and events each year, contributing their time, energy and skills to raise money to save lives at sea. Some of our fundraisers have been volunteering for many years while some just join us for a few months in the year depending on what their commitments allow.

“We now really need to bolster that support and grow our volunteer fundraising crew. If you like to have fun, enjoy meeting new people and want to join a motivated and enthusiastic team, we encourage you to find out more and apply.

"You will learn new skills, gain experience and have the rewarding satisfaction of giving back. The RNLI will also provide all the necessary training and support so you can carry out your chosen role effectively.” To find out more about how you can sign up to be a fundraising volunteer with the Larne or Carrickfergus and Whitehead fundraising branches, or to apply, click on this link rnli.org/OneCrewVolunteers