Grace Darling was a woman of courage and determination, and it was those same characteristics – now woven into the fabric of the RNLI – that encouraged Lena Howells to become the first female member of Angle Lifeboat Station in 2007, at the age of just 17.

‘When I moved to Angle in Pembrokeshire – a real lifeboat community – my brother was on the crew and his stories of all the rescues he was doing really inspired me to want to join,’ Lena explains. ‘It was difficult to get on the crew to begin with though. I think some of the older crew members thought it might be unlucky to have a girl on the lifeboat! But that made me even more determined.

I remember feeling so passionate about it and I had my brother’s support to get me there.’ Lena has since moved away from Pembrokeshire – but she didn’t leave the RNLI behind. She is now an RNLI lifeguard supervisor in Dorset. And her example has left its mark in Angle where there are now three female lifeboat crew members at the station.

Female lifeguards make up nearly a quarter of the RNLI’s total lifeguard team. But how does lifeguarding compare to being a lifeboat volunteer? ‘Both are equally rewarding. Going home at night and feeling satisfied that you’ve kept the beach safe for another day – it’s a wonderful feeling,’ says Lena. ‘And that odd occasion when you get a thank you letter from someone you’ve helped – that’s so nice! It makes you realise that it’s all worthwhile.’

Across and around our coasts, women are quietly and assuredly continuing to make waves in maritime lifesaving. Back in 2011, a shop worker, a classroom assistant and Royal Navy specialist, all members of Cardigan Lifeboat Station, became what is believed to be the first all-female volunteer lifeboat crew to respond to a call out in Wales.

Gemma Griffiths, one of the crew involved, didn’t really get what all the fuss was about. ‘The dynamics do not change whether it is a mixed or single sex crew – we’re all focused on the job and put the same training into action. I love it,’ she says. ‘It is an adrenaline rush. And you have the feeling that you have helped someone.’

Of course, the RNLI’s lifesaving work has evolved hugely since the day Grace Darling set out on her daring rescue: our lifesavers now go to the rescue inland as well as at sea. Kelly Allen, crew member at Portrush Lifeboat Station, has been a member of the Flood Rescue Team since it was first established in 2000.

‘The guys and girls on the team are really capable and passionate, it’s a pleasure to work with such a fantastic bunch drawn from every corner of the RNLI,’ she explains, exhilarated after returning from a flood water rescue training course. ‘Everybody brings different skills and experience to establish a really strong team.’

And the most satisfying part of the role? ‘The training and qualifications we receive in the Flood Rescue Team make it such a rewarding experience,’ Kelly smiles. ‘We know that we are always ready to respond to flood incidents at home and abroad. Plus we have trained in some really wonderful locations like The Falls of Lora in Scotland; hiking up a mountain in the Peak District with an X boat; and rafting down rapids in a whitewater centre. The specialist training we receive is very specific to floods and very different to what we train for on the coast. It’s fantastic!’

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'The most rewarding part of the job is knowing you've actually made a positive difference to someone's day. Whether it's something relatively minor, like treating a weever-fish sting or reuniting a lost child with their parents; or more major, such as treating an unconscious casualty or carrying out a water rescue – you always get a good feeling from knowing that you helped someone who could have been worse off if you hadn't been there.'
Nicola O'Toole, Senior Lifeguard, south Pembrokeshire

'I have to be able to complete the same tasks as any of the boys. I may never be as strong but this is not a limiting factor. For example, we are taught techniques to help with recovering casualties from the water. Being a female can be beneficial, particularly if dealing with women and children. I find that having smaller hands can help with undoing knots and setting equipment so there are definitely some advantages.'
Becky Mack, Crew Member, Swanage Lifeboat Station

'I didn’t ever think I would be asked to train as a coxswain but it soon dawned on me that, after 18 years, I was one of the station's most senior crew members. It meant a lot of hard work but I relished the challenge and found the extra responsibility so rewarding. There is no difference at all me being female – I’m just another member of the crew. We all get on immensely well and banter among us is brilliant.'
Sloane Phillips, Deputy Second Coxswain, Hastings Lifeboat Station