Mallaig RNLI Shop Manager awarded Volunteer of the Year award

Run annually by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), the Scottish Charity Awards celebrate the best of Scotland’s voluntary sector. The 2025 winners were announced at a celebratory awards ceremony in Glasgow on 19 June 2025.

Up against some tough competition, other nominees for Volunteer of the Year included volunteers from Epilepsy Scotland, EATS Rosyth community garden and Fife Nepalese Community.

On collecting her award Juliet said ‘I would like to thank everyone who voted and helped us to win this prestigious award for the RNLI. I have been overwhelmed by all the support we have received and would like to dedicate this award to all the volunteers at Mallaig RNLI Lifeboat Station who dedicate their time to help save lives at sea.’

Juliet Blackie has been a volunteer with the RNLI in Mallaig since 2022 when she joined as a Volunteer Shop Assistant. In 2023, when the previous manager retired, she took on the role of the Volunteer Shop Manager for Mallaig. She soon got to grips with the role and began to recruit new volunteers in the local area to join the team.

This meant that in 2024, she and the team were able to open the shop for 6 days a week, over a larger part of the year than previously, and had enough people involved to cover for holidays and illness. Mallaig has a small population of just 650 people, but has a big influx of visitors and Juliet and the team raised an incredible £38,000 for the RNLI in 2024 – an increase of £32,670 on 2022.

When asked about the work behind the success of the RNLI shop she stated:

‘I valued the advice from those who came before me and worked to increase the number of volunteers running the shop; so we can cover absences or holidays and be open for longer. There’s a wider range of stock available for customers to choose from and of course this stock level needs to be maintained.’

‘Although I’m not directly helping people in need, I enjoy being part of team to raise funds for those who save lives at sea. Volunteering in the shop gives me a great opportunity to talk to visitors about the work of lifeboat crew. I really couldn’t have done it without the fab support of the team of volunteers and local community’

RNLI media contacts

Jessica Logan, Lifeboat Press Officer, 07532762562, [email protected]

Natasha Rushby, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for Scotland, 07826 900639, [email protected]

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

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789

Key facts about the RNLI

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.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.