14/02/2025
16.01.2025
On Thursday, 16 January 2025, we celebrated our annual year-end function and awards evening at Gavin's Trattoria Agulhas. A huge thank you to Gavin and his incredible staff for their warm hospitality and delicious food! It was the perfect setting for an evening filled with laughter, good company, and well-deserved recognition.
In the words of our Crewman of the Year, Janlu:
Station 30 is a proud but patient station, having very competent and experienced personnel in it's ranks. The well oiled machine that it is today is something that has been a long time coming and not without sacrifice. In the formative years of the station, it had endured hardships both in grueling callouts and internal growth pains as I am sure all of the more experienced crew sitting here can tell you.
There was a point where the station was nearly closed, one we are certainly far away from in the current time. In hindsight, all these hardships had made Station 30 into what it is today, a station open to growth and with exemplary leaders that lead all who enter it, toward success. In recent years, our station has seen remarkable strides forward in it's training, as seen by the amount of coxswains that we have proudly produced. This is because there is a distinct ethos within Station 30 - and that is family. This roots deeply into our foundation as a station. The crew that are here tonight understand that nothing will ever be asked of you that you are under-equipped for, or is outside the boundaries of safety - specifically in trainings. We can take comfort in our absolute trust in one another and successfully operate as a team. We are taught that failure is not something to fear, but an opportunity to learn. And if there is ever a skill you gain at station 30 - that is to learn quickly. But through doing so, you learn to sacrifice - yes we are all volunteers and not all of us have careers in the industry - but if you want to operate successfully, sometimes you need to give so others can take and vice versa.
A large part of the station 30 family is driven by enjoying yourself. This is very important as it makes every challenge all the less daunting, whether its in training or in an operation. There are very few times you don't see everyone smiling aboard our vessels and those few times someone's not, are usually caused by sea-sickness.
We all have the same goal - that is to save lives. But to do so, we must never stop learning and improving. We keep each other accountable and at station 30, that is everyone's responsibility.
Congratulations to all our award winners! Your dedication, passion, and unforgettable moments made 2024 one to remember. Here’s to another fantastic year ahead! 🛟⚓
