Making the RNLI a better place to volunteer

Whatever your role at the RNLI, it’s important you feel valued and supported. Your feedback is important in ensuring that the RNLI continues to be a great place to volunteer and work as we deliver our lifesaving priorities.

The most recent survey closed in September 2024 - thank you to everyone who took the time to share your views. Over 6,000 volunteers and 2,300 members of staff took part – the biggest overall participation rates we’ve ever had. Read on to learn more about what is happening now.

Topline results

Please read this update from Chief Executive Peter Sparkes about the topline results from the 2024 survey. You can also access the report using the link: Volunteer topline results -  PDF 479KB

These results show us that our volunteers and staff remain incredibly committed to the RNLI. We’ve seen progress in ensuring volunteers have the right level of training and support, and there has been an increase in volunteers feeling more connected to each other. We’ve also heard clearly that everyone wants to see meaningful action taken based on their feedback.

Full organisational results have been shared on our intranet, Compass, so please do talk to your volunteer manager if you would like to learn more.

Commitments

As part of Peter's 100-Day Review, he shared the six key areas of focusfor the RNLI going forward. Based on your feedback and to support our volunteers and staff, the RNLI's Executive Team have made a collective commitment to focus effort on the following: 

• Future direction: Setting a clear vision so that volunteers and staff feel confident in the RNLI’s plans for the future.

• Leadership: Strengthening confidence in leadership decision making, demonstrating behaviours that are consistent with our Values, and keeping in touch with the views and opinions of volunteers and staff.

• Communication and listening: Building good communication practice across the organisation, sharing information in a timely, transparent and consistent way, keeping our volunteers and staff up to date about decisions that affect them, and providing opportunities to get involved, share ideas and ask questions.

• Skills, learning/training and development: Providing the right level of training, making good use of skills, creating opportunities for continuous development and progression.

Leadership working group

To ensure that we take collective action based on your feedback, a leadership working group has been formed, chaired by Grace Benham, Channel Chair. This will ensure that we align our activities across the organisation, they are prioritised, tracked and communicated.

You can read the first update from this group on the Volunteer Zone. 

What's been happening already

Work has been continuing in recent years to make improvements based on your feedback.

Here are some of the ways we are improving how we communicate with you:

• We have been upgrading our network and phone connectivity to lifeboat stations and lifeguard units. This is essential to lay the foundations we need to communicate more easily.
• We have now started to introduce a new system, called the Volunteer Platform, to help us support, recognise and manage our incredible volunteers. Initially, the RNLI’s Volunteer Platform will help us store and manage volunteer data and empower volunteers to update their own details.
• As 2024 progresses we will be rolling this out further and introducing new features.Improvements have been made to Volunteer Zone, including additional resources page for Fundraising and Events, ensuring our volunteer have key information.
• Improved the way we can communicate thanks to our volunteers by launching the online volunteer thank you wall.
• Horizon, the RNLI’s hub for operational policies, procedures, guidance and other information for volunteers and staff involved in our lifesaving operations, has now been upgraded to a new platform. Operational volunteers can find key documents and information more quickly and easily.
• We’ve changed the way we produce our weekly newsletters for Engagement volunteers, which means we have better insight into what content you like and what is most important to you.

Here are some of the ways we are improving our training provision:

• The new Operational Competence Framework (OCF) has been rolled out to all lifeboat stations. The new framework brings several benefits to the RNLI and crew members. Most importantly, it will simplify and give structure to the way crew train and remain current in their roles.
• We have replaced Learning Zone with a new, easier to use version for operational and water safety volunteers, and all permanent and seasonal staff.
• We are continuing our programme of e-learning, webinars and video training materials.
• We've invested in our network of Local Trainer Assessors, and increasing capacity for crew emergency procedures at the RNLI College.
• Providing sea survival training at the National Maritime College of Ireland in Cork - now operating with over 130 spaces for ALB and D Class crew annually
• Providing training for engagement and fundraising volunteers. Developed online fundraising training modules for volunteers
• Live Treasurer training sessions and drop in’s for Fundraising Treasurers
• Launched One Crew Welcome Sessions for all new volunteers to get an online introduction to the RNLI, as well as the next steps in their volunteering journey.

And finally - thank you

Thank you for everything you do to save lives at sea, and for taking the time to share your feedback. If you have any questions, please email [email protected]