RNLI Port Talbot

29/10/2025

Get moving this December and help save lives at sea with the RNLI Reindeer Run challenge

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is calling on the people of Port Talbot to support their volunteer lifeboat crews this winter by taking on the RNLI Reindeer Run challenge.

The RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crews across the UK and Ireland are ready to answer the call for help this winter – but the charity needs your help too. This December the RNLI is once again challenging people to take part in the Reindeer Run by running, walking, jogging or rolling 24 miles to help raise vital funds - that’s one mile for every hour RNLI lifesavers are on call everyday, even on Christmas Day.

Clive Morris volunteer lifeboat operations manager says: ‘Our crew is on-call 24/7 ready to answer calls for help this winter. It can be hard on our family and friends if we are called out to a rescue during a winter storm, or even halfway through Christmas dinner, but we’re ready to give our time to help save others.

‘Fundraising challenges like the Reindeer Run help to provide our training, equipment and lifesaving crew kit, and mean that we can help reunite more families this Christmas.’

Participants can tackle the distance any way they like – which could be covering one mile every day for 24 days or choosing to take part in multiple miles on different occasions.

Over the last five years, RNLI lifeboats have launched on average over 100 times during the Christmas period*.

If you’re ready to get involved this December, you can sign up now for free at RNLI.org/ReindeerRunChallenge. Every participant who raises over £125 or €125 will receive their very own exclusive Reindeer Run medal as a thank you for helping to support volunteer lifeboat crews. And every penny/cent raised this Christmas goes directly to help the RNLI save lives at sea.

Can you take on the RNLI Reindeer Run Challenge 2023? Run 24 miles throughout December and help keep RNLI lifesavers safe this winter.

27/10/2025

Morris Mondays

This past week has been an extremely busy one for our station, with 22 crew members training on both Tuesday and Sunday. Our station’s lifeboat trainers have been working hard to create tailored training plans for each individual crew member.

Our shore crew were also kept busy, undertaking land-based training on the tractor along with other essential training in launching and recovering the lifeboat. Maintenance was also carried out by our station’s Launch and Recovery Mechanic to ensure that our launch equipment remains fully operational and ready to support safe activities.

Sunday saw Cerys Rowlands receive her crew jacket after joining Nathan Williams in completing their shore crew training. This stage is a vital part of learning all aspects of the lifeboat’s operation and the safe launching and recovery procedures. Both will now progress to their medical assessments before beginning their next stage of training as lifeboat crew, allowing them to start training at sea.

Meanwhile, our fundraising team held a successful Fish and Chip Supper, raising an impressive £555.07. A huge thank you goes out to them for their continued hard work and dedication in raising funds to help us carry on our lifesaving mission — saving lives at sea.

Just like to say a great big thank you to Beth in Neath market and to all of your customers for supporting the RNLI saving lives at sea what a wonderful market Neath.

In addition, the station has received generous donations of £1,000.00 and £100.00, for which letters of thanks have been sent to the donors. These contributions provide vital support to our station and the RNLI, ensuring we can continue to maintain our equipment, deliver high-quality training, and remain ready to respond whenever we are needed.

26/10/2025

This morning (Sunday 26 October 2025) not only saw two volunteer crews launch but for the duration of first launch and second crew recovery.

Volunteer Carys Rowlands was under taking three hours of shore crew pass out assessment under the ever watchful eye of Lifeboat Training Coordinator Paul Skinner.

The assessment involved assessing competency in, roles and responsibilities, local knowledge, launch and recovery, emergency procedures, and finally operational readiness.

While this was ongoing the first crew understood a mock helm pass out for Gareth Kehoe in readiness for the real thing on Tuesday.

This again will take place over at least 3 hours with every facet of commanding an inshore lifeboat tested and every rescue scenario simulated before a trainee helm is deemed competent to take the helm to save lives at sea.

Second crew under took helming, man over board and pyrotechnics.

Finally when all training was over the inshore lifeboat has the be made ready for service 24/7.

Once everything was cleaned and refuelled Carys recieved her reward for the many hours of training, the famous Paul Skinner hand shake and crew jacket present by Lifeboat Operations Manager Clive Morris.
Carys now starts her training to become competent crew.

All at RNLI Port Talbot wish her well.

Somewhere in all the photos is a highly talented dog can you spot its superpower.

26/10/2025

Our volunteers loved meeting our supporters who visited our shop during the fireworks last night (Saturday 25 October).

One of our shop volunteers Ryan Brettle Jones of Dragon Lens Photography took some amazing shots and shop volunteer Alun Ford wrote a short poem they are letting us share…

A firework flies through the night air and explodes in the night sky, various colours light up the sky above the RNLI the staff who work there look up n Awe amazed by the colours it gives and as the colour fades by camera its image is saved

25/10/2025

Our shop is open this evening! Pop in for a soft drink and browse our lovely selection of gifts perfect for many an occasion.

We have sweets, ornaments, Christmas cards and calendars. 🏬 🎁

25/10/2025

Yesterday evening Friday 24 October our fundraising team hosted our annual fish and chip supper!

It’s was another full house with 55 tickets sold and a whopping £555.07 raised for the Port Talbot RNLI crew.

The fish and chips were delivered by Margam Fish bar, there was a raffle, stand up bingo and music from the Kool Hand Ukes!

Special thanks go out to the Sandfields Methodist Church for allowing us to use their hall for the evening! You have been wonderful to us for many an event!

Thanks to all our supporters and fundraisers for all the help and support received.

25/10/2025

The clocks go back tonight, but there’ll be no extra hour in bed for our volunteer RNLI crew if their pagers sound. They’ll be on call 25 hours a day tomorrow.

Take extra care if you’re heading to the coast as the evenings get darker.

🌊🌦 Always check the tide times, weather forecast and local safety signage

🥾👀 Dress for the conditions, keep an eye on your surroundings and know your route to safety

🔦🦺 Take a torch and wear bright or reflective clothing so you can be seen

🗣⏰ Tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll be back

🛟🏊 if you get into difficulty in the water

🆘📱 In an emergency, dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard

For more RNLI safety advice visit RNLI.org/Beach

Thanks to for the loan of their post that’s what’s meant by

24/10/2025

🚨 The RNLI is hiring – Community Manager (South Wales & The English Counties) 🚨
Are you passionate about people and driven to make a difference in local communities? Our lifesaving charity is looking for a Community Manager to join our team!

We’re looking for someone who:
✅ Enjoys building strong relationships
✅ Is a confident and strategic communicator
✅ Has experience in volunteer engagement, partnership development, or community leadership
✅ Thrives in a team environment
✅ Wants to contribute to saving lives at sea 🚤⚓

In this exciting role, you’ll:
🌊 Work with our amazing volunteers and supporters
🤝 Build partnerships in local communities
💛 Drive fundraising and engagement initiatives
📣 Help raise awareness of the RNLI’s life-saving mission
🔗 Learn more & apply here: https://jobs.rnli.org/vacancy/community-manager-south-wales-and-the-three-english-counties-597845.html

📅 Applications now open!



📸 - Will Scott

22/10/2025

On a lovely autumn evening (Tuesday 21 October) our volunteer crew launched in to moderately choppy waters at 6.30pm for their bi weekly training session. The crew was lead by Helm Tom Hopkins and covered units in navigation, Helming and towing. Mixing things up a little this week we had the pleasure of organising a joint training session with one of our flanking stations.
Porthcawl RNLI crew brought their Atlantic 85 over to do navigation, towing , pacing and crew transfers from lifeboat to lifeboat adding some additional skills to practice.

📸 Ceri Jeffreys

20/10/2025

‘Morris Monday’, our weekly update from our very own Lifeboat Operations Manager, (Boss) Clive Morris .

Last week marked the launch of our recruitment window for Lifeboat Crew and Shore Crew, which will remain open until mid-November.

So far, we have received one formal application for Shore Crew. A response has been sent, inviting the applicant to visit the station and begin the next steps in the process.

In addition, we’ve had four walk-in enquiries from individuals interested in joining as Lifeboat Crew. These spontaneous visits are a great sign of community engagement and interest in the work we do. We are now working with each of them to guide them through the joining process and support them in their goal of giving back to the community.

We’ll continue to provide updates as recruitment progresses. A big thank you to everyone involved in welcoming potential new volunteers and supporting the recruitment effort.

http://volunteering.rnli.org/vacancy/criw-r-lan---shore-crew---port-talbot-597182.html

http://volunteering.rnli.org/vacancy/ilb-crew---port-talbot--597187.html

Mae Gorsaf Bad Achub yr RNLI yn Port Talbot yn chwilio am wirfoddolwyr i ymuno â’r tîm presennol fel aelodau o Griw’r Lan.

19/10/2025

This morning 19 October 2025, two volunteer crews put to sea in Sunday grey mist and rain.

As one of our volunteer crew put it
Perfectly, if its not raining its not training so it was most certainly was training this morning

Training that got the launch vehicle drivers every bit as wet as the crew.

First crew undertook helming and navigation particularly vital in the poor ever changing visibility of this morning.

If you can’t find a casualty you can’t save lives at sea.

Second crew with volunteer crew Bex Owen, wanting a special mention and photo of her cheery sunny smile as she went to sea.

Needless to say on recovering her face mirrored the weather conditions.

The sea makes no consideration for gender and all the female crew on station wouldn’t want it any other way.

Hence the training, commitment and expectations are the same for everyone.

Second crew also took advantage of the conditions and under took helming and navigation.

On recovery the lifeboat was refuelled, washed down, drained which took longer than usual in the heavy rain.