THE FACE OF THE MODERN RNLI
Hovercraft Commander LEESA EPSLEY Leesa Epsley has been a volunteer hovercraft commander since 2007. She was the first woman to gain a pilot’s licence to fly a RNLI hovercraft. However this wasn’t an easy journey for her.
“When I wanted to join, my eyes were too bad, I was really short-sighted, so I had laser eye surgery. It was the best thing I ever did. I’ll never forget my first time on the boat, it was amazing . . . It’s really rewarding, that’s why you do it, to give something back,” Leesa said.
“In the past, it has been male dominated. Thankfully over the years things have changed and women and men work alongside each other. Everyone’s got something to give.”
Retail volunteer JACQUELINE BAILEY Jacqueline is one of the many volunteers working in the RNLI’s retail shops. The shops, dotted around the country, sell official charity merchandise to raise crucial funds for their work. Jacqueline is also treasurer of the Barrow Ladies Lifeboat Guild, making her one in a long line of women to raise funds for the charity through this body since it was founded in its original form in the 1890s.
Crew member TATTY PETTIGREW Having previously had a career in the corporate world, Tatty Pettigrew retrained as an outdoor instructor in 2018. Inspired by her love of the great outdoors, she decided to become a volunteer for the RNLI. She has been a member of the Dartmouth RNLI crew since 2021.
Lifeguards EMILY FAZAKARLEY and BETH WILLIAMS
Today, the RNLI has over 1,600 lifeguards who patrol beaches across the country to keep visitors safe. Around 20 per cent of the RNLI’s lifeguards are now women. Their work on beaches is largely preventative, and they also spend time educating the community on seaside safety. Emily Fazakarley works as a lifeguard in Dorset and Beth Williams is a seasonal lifeguard supervisor in Kent.
Lifeboat Crew Member
FLICK DALLADAY
An experienced police officer, Flick Dalladay began training as lifeboat crew at the start of 2022. She is a volunteer crew member in Poole and works on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ready to act if a call for help comes in.
Station Manager JANET KELLY Now retired, Janet worked at Tower Lifeboat Station on the Thames from its opening in 2002 and her story is in the exhibition. The RNLI’s busiest station, this was established in response to the Marchioness Disaster. Janet was instrumental in securing the
RNLI’s presence on the Thames, and helped negotiate the purchase of the station’s location for £1.
Coxswain DIANE BUSH
In 2021, Diane Bush became the RNLI’s first full-time female coxswain. It is her responsibility to safeguard and rescue those in danger at sea. Having started volunteering for the RNLI in 2003, she became a mechanic with the charity in 2017, making her the first woman to hold this role full-time. However, she wasn’t done leading the way for women. She has also been a pioneer in her role as a coxswain, which she still holds today.