In July, the National Ambulance Volunteer Responder Leadership Group (NAVRLG) spent two days at the RNLI College in Poole, providing a valuable opportunity for volunteer leaders from both the ambulance and lifeboat services to share knowledge, explore common challenges and strengthen relationships that could support greater collaboration in the future.
The event was facilitated by Donna McCreath, Head of Volunteering and Inclusion at the RNLI, and Joe Crook, National Ambulance Volunteer Lead at the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE).
Throughout the two days, volunteer leaders discussed a wide range of topics, including volunteer recruitment and retention, reward and recognition, training and onboarding, and responding to demographic changes within the volunteering population. The sessions highlighted many shared opportunities and challenges across both organisations, creating a strong foundation for future partnership working.
As part of the visit, ambulance volunteer leads were given a tour of the RNLI’s impressive training facilities, including the chance to take part in a realistic training simulation and learn more about how RNLI volunteers are prepared for lifesaving activity.
Joe Crook said:
It was incredibly valuable to bring together volunteer leaders from the ambulance and RNLI communities. While our organisations operate in different environments, we share a common commitment to supporting volunteers and helping them make a difference in their communities. The discussions were insightful and inspiring, and we’ve already identified several opportunities to learn from one another and strengthen our working relationship going forward.
The National Ambulance Volunteer Responder Leadership Group would like to thank Donna McCreath and the wider RNLI team for their generous hospitality, warm welcome and for creating such an engaging and productive event.
For more information about ambulance volunteering, please contact Joe Crook at joe.crook@aace.org.uk.
