Graduation day for RNLI volunteer Chloe
The Portree RNLI crew are sending congratulations to a volunteer who has recently graduated as a doctor.
Chloe Urquhart, who moved from Skye to study in Aberdeen in 2019, took her pager with her and has been volunteering between the West and East coast lifeboat stations since then.
Chloe said:
‘I’ve always loved the sea, but joining the RNLI started off as a bit of a joke with my dad when we were talking about how to get some more unusual volunteering done for my Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. Now, almost 7 years down the line, the RNLI has become such an important part of my life.’
Chloe’s dad, Peter, is also a volunteer at the Portree RNLI station, with the role of Launch Authority.
Speaking about her studies, Chloe said:
‘I moved to Aberdeen in 2019 to start the Gateway to Medicine (G2M) course, which lasted a year and was cut short by the Covid-19 pandemic. I then moved onto the main medical course in 2020 which is 5 years long.
‘I am now graduating from the University of Aberdeen as a doctor with a Bachelors in Medicine and Bachelors in Surgery, having studied medicine (MBChB).
‘It’s been tough at times - lots of studying and having to put university work first above everything else, but it has been brilliant overall. I’ve been able to go all over the country on placements along with getting to spend 2 months in New Zealand. There are such amazing opportunities open to me with a career in medicine.’
After first moving to Aberdeen, Chloe joined the volunteers at Aberdeen RNLI lifeboat station, which operates a Severn class all weather lifeboat and D class inshore lifeboat.
When asked about the differences between the Portree RNLI lifeboat station and Aberdeen, Chloe said:
‘Aberdeen RNLI is the only city-based station in Scotland, being situated in the large commercial port and also home to a very popular beach. There is a wider range of scenarios that we will launch to in Aberdeen compared to Portree. The volunteers also come from a wider variety of backgrounds, with very few having any maritime experience prior to joining the RNLI.
‘However, we are all one crew and there is great support and encouragement at both stations, no matter how long you have worn the yellow wellies. All the volunteers are made up of truly selfless individuals who give up their time to do amazing work; from the sea-going crew to water-safety and education teams, and essential RNLI fundraisers.’
Chloe is one of over 5,700 volunteer RNLI lifeboat crew members at 238 lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland, with a further 4,000 volunteer shore crew members. Our volunteers are on call and ready to respond to calls for help 24 hrs a day, 365 days of the year.
The RNLI is a charity that has been saving lives at sea for over two hundred years. It relies on donations and support from the public to operate the lifesaving service that it does.
ENDS
Notes to editors
- All photos in this press release are credited to Portree RNLI.
- Portree Lifeboat Station was established in 1991 and operates a Trent class all-weather lifeboat – ‘Stanley Watson Barker’. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/portree-lifeboat-station
- To learn more about Aberdeen RNLI Lifeboat Station, go to: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/aberdeen-lifeboat-station
RNLI media contacts
For further information, please contact:
Robert MacInnes, Lifeboat Press Officer at Portree RNLI: 07950 421829 / [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 or [email protected]
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.