Volunteer Watchkeeper

Volunteer Watchkeeper

Posted for National Coastwatch Institution - Southend

Posted by Volunteer Essex

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As a volunteer watchkeeper, you will join our team keeping watches over people and craft using the sea, beach and coast from our watch station, which is just inside the Ministry of Defence land at the end of Shoebury East Beach. Watches are generally 2 persons, last for 4 or 4.5 hours, and involve the watchkeepers looking and listening for any signs of danger or distress. The station is fully equipped with radios, telescopes, computer systems, weather station, nautical charts, tea and biscuits.

The benefits to the volunteers are becoming part of a professional, qualified team helping the local community and potentially saving lives in our area by spending enjoyable watches in good company whilst looking out across the sea and beach.

We currently have enough volunteers to open our watch station 3 or 4 days a week. To provide an even better service to our coast users, and potentially help save more lives, we would love to increase this and open every day. To be able to do so we need a lot more volunteers, so please get in touch if you are interested. Ideal for ages 18 to 80+ and any gender, with some time to spare and a desire to help. The watch station is only accessible via a flight of steps, so volunteers do need to be able to manage these.

What skills do I need?

Volunteers should be keen, numerate and literate, and have access to a home computer with at least basic computer skills.
No specific experience nor skills required as full training will be given.