Two Teignmouth Lifeboat volunteers, who have taught hundreds of young adults across the south west about how to stay safe in the water, have been honoured by the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI).

Alan Harwood and Shannon Wilson have designed and delivered tailor-made training sessions to apprentices working in and around the marine environment to educate them about the RNLI’s lifesaving mission and to promote vital water safety messages.

Steve Instance, the RNLI’s water safety lead for the south west, presented Alan and Shannon with Excellence in Volunteering Awards at a recent regional meeting. The Awards recognise individuals who consistently go above and beyond in a volunteer role and who demonstrate the RNLI’s core values of selflessness, courage, dependability and trustworthiness.

The award citation highlights their continued commitment and the positive impact of their efforts, noting that their contribution has helped support the RNLI’s mission to save lives at sea.

Alan and Shannon have delivered their training programme, which has received excellent feedback, to apprentices at ten large further education colleges and universities across the south west.

Later this month, Alan and Shannon will be heading to Portishead to help further develop the programme and train additional water safety teams, helping to broaden its delivery.

In addition to this work, Alan and Shannon have also supported the RNLI at large-scale events across Devon and Exeter, helping to raise awareness of the charity and its work within local communities.

‘RNLI Teignmouth Lifeboat Station relies on the dedication of volunteers like Alan and Shannon to continue its vital work, and the awards recognise the difference volunteers make both locally and nationally,’ a spokesperson from Teignmouth RNLI said. ‘Everyone at Teignmouth Lifeboat Station extends their congratulations and are proud to have both Alan and Shannon working as part of their dedicated team of lifesavers,’ the spokesperson added.

Speaking after receiving his award, Alan said he was both surprised and thankful for the recognition and is looking forward to seeing how the programme will develop in the future, with so much more it can achieve. Shannon added that she was proud to receive the accolade and excited to continue being part of the programme, meeting young people across the South West.

Earlier this month, Teignmouth Lifeboat Station announced that its volunteer press officer, Amy Furlong, had also achieved an RNLI Excellence in Volunteering Award for her dedication and hard work.

Since taking on her role, Amy has championed the RNLI’s ‘One Crew’ ethos by bringing together separate Facebook pages for station operations and fundraising into a single platform and strengthening communication and public engagement. The unified page now reaches more than 7,800 followers, increasing awareness of the station’s lifesaving work through regular, engaging content. Amy has also developed strong working relationships across volunteer teams and with the local press and regularly supports the organisation of fundraising and volunteer events.