RNLI volunteering

[Littletreefrog]

Our local lifeboat station is advertising for boat crew. I've always thought about doing it and now the kids are older I think I would be fine with the time commitment and unpredictability BUT...

I wear glasses, am partially deaf although don't use aids and manage fine day to day, overweight although I walk around 2 hours a day with the dog and do ParkRun albeit very slowly. I know they will more than likely be lovely i.e not laugh at me if I went down to enquire but would I be wasting every bodies time?

Yes. My guess is you need to be 100% fit if you want to go on the sea.
But ask them.

rnli.org/support-us/volunteer/how-you-can-volunteer/be-a-lifeboat-station-volunteer

They have many roles not just active rescuers. They will be interested in what you can do not your shortcomings. Some people start as shoreside volunteers then train for the crew

I wouldn’t for a moment think they would laugh at you, no.

If they are specifically looking for boat crew they probably will be most interested in your sailing experience, and in particular how current and frequent it is.

If you don’t have that kind of experience I would expect they have plenty of supporting roles that they need help with.

(none of that is direct knowledge, just from hearing discussions between DH and his cousin who used to volunteer).