Peel lifeboat station is looking for a new Lifeboat Press Officer (LPO) and Port St Mary is looking for a new Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer (DLPO).

The volunteer roles help the RNLI save lives at sea by raising awareness of the charity, through promoting the activity of the lifeboat station, highlighting the lifesaving work of our volunteers and sharing important safety and fundraising messages via local, digital and social media.

Chris Gaskin, RNLI area operations manager for the Isle of Man, says: ‘Volunteering with us gives people the opportunity to make a real difference in their local community, to save lives at sea and become part of our one crew family.

‘We can’t keep people safe without the support of our wonderful volunteers, who truly make a difference every day – no matter which role they are fulfilling.

‘Becoming a part of the press officer team at Peel and Port St Mary is a great chance to play a crucial part in helping to save lives and making a positive impact in your community.’

Current LPO at Peel, Carol Hunter, will be stepping down at the end of summer after more than six years in the role. She said: ‘Being part of the Peel lifeboat community has been fulfilling, heartwarming and fun.

‘It has been a great honour to support, through my efforts, the work of our dedicated volunteers, whether they are afloat, ashore or fundraising.

‘It’s a vital role with structured training and support and your actions as LPO can make a real difference in enhancing the public’s engagement with the RNLI.

‘We’re looking for enthusiastic people with an interest in writing, communications, media, and storytelling.

‘Although no formal training or experience in these areas is required to apply, just a willingness to engage, learn and contribute something special.

‘I would encourage anyone with an interest to apply; there is so much to gain from the role and joining the RNLI’s one crew.’

Duties of a lifeboat press officer include:

  • Keeping local media informed of lifesaving activity, promoting newsworthy rescues, lifeboat station events and RNLI campaigns via a variety of channels
  • Producing and distributing regular news releases with photos and/or video, to a standard RNLI format by email, uploading to the RNLI News Centre and posting to social media
  • Being available to answer media enquiries
  • Supporting or arranging media opportunities
  • Acquiring and maintaining an up-to-date knowledge of your lifeboat station and the RNLI.

No previous experience is necessary to become a lifeboat press officer. Volunteers are trained by a dedicated team of media trainers and support provided by a dedicated volunteer manager throughout your time volunteering in the role.

Chris added: ‘Recruiting a new LPO for Peel and DLPO for Port St Mary to join David Hill, the station’s long-standing LPO, will really help us share the fantastic work of our RNLI crews here in the island – birthplace of our lifesaving charity.’

The roles can be applied for in the ‘volunteer’ section of the rnli.org website.