Volunteers keep Coastguard afloat
Nicola Hockley struggles to remember a time before she was a volunteer.
The Christchurch woman has been a member of Coastguard Canterbury since 2009, is a master and regular skipper on her unit’s boat, sits on several Coastguard boards, and takes part in training and governance.
‘‘I’ve volunteered for various charities since I was a child . . . I’ve loved the sea, helping people and being out on boats, and people going out on boats and having good experiences.
‘‘[I wanted] to be part of an organisation that is the education end of that as well as the rescue end.’’
Hockley manages the need for Coastguard volunteers to be available 24/7 alongside full-time work and family commitments.
She was celebrated by the organisation this week as part of National Volunteer Week for ‘‘being involved in nearly every area of the organisation since she joined’’.
Part of that included being ‘‘instrumental’’ in helping get a new headquarters for Coastguard Canterbury, chief executive Patrick Holmes said.
The project was a result of the original headquarters being damaged in the February 2011 earthquake. Plans for the new shared building were still in their infancy but it would be built at Naval Point in Lyttelton.
‘‘[Hockley] has played a key part in negotiating with various groups to see the project come to life and committed many hours to help raise upwards of $5 million for the new building,’’ Holmes said.
Hockley disliked the thought of being singled out for her contribution to Coastguard.
‘‘That’s the search and rescue sector in New Zealand. The frontline are mostly volunteers going out and doing these types of activities,’’ she said.
‘‘There’s a bit of infrastructure behind it and some mechanisms to get funding, but that’s very much how we do things around here.’’
Hockley is one of the more than 2200 Coastguard volunteers who brought more than 6400 Kiwis home safely last year.
Volunteers gave more than 300,000 hours to Coastguard across the country in 2016.
‘‘They could be out with their family or busy at work, but when their pager goes off they will drop everything to go and help,’’ Holmes said.
‘‘Being a volunteer with Coastguard is a big commitment, not only for the volunteer themselves but also their families and employers.’’
Coastguard is the charity responsible for New Zealand’s primary maritime search and rescue service.
Hockley said people were encouraged to get involved, regardless of their experience on the water.
More information is available at coastguard.co.nz
"The frontline are mostly volunteers going out and doing these types of activities." Nicola Hockley