Lifeguard Support: Boldon - Whitley Bay to Roker

About us

Do you have an interest in lifesaving? Are you hoping to become a qualified beach lifeguard looking for some practical experience to help you on your way?

For us, being passionate about the RNLI means so much. It's what gets our volunteer crews out of bed in the middle of the night. It's also what inspires our Lifeguards who make a significant difference to safety on our beaches by providing an integrated rescue service from the beach to the open sea.

The RNLI has been operating a lifeguard service in the UK since 2001 and it's now an integral part of our commitment to saving lives at sea. In 2025 the RNLI will be patrolling over 230 beaches around the coast of England, Scotland, Wales, Jersey and Northern Ireland.

The RNLI’s lifeguard service is recruiting for Lifeguard Support roles to assist our lifesaving teams on the beach.

Your role

You will be helping our lifeguard teams with the day to day running of the beach, providing water safety advice and guidance to visitors, and supporting our search and rescue activities on the beach. Your duties will be varied to include tasks such as first aid, assisting lost children, giving advice, reporting of hazards, monitoring and providing communications, logging incidents and providing written reports.

With the support of the lifeguard team, you’ll assist with the assessment of prevailing conditions and placement of zoning flags and warning signs to help minimize the risk of the public getting into difficulties in the sea. You’ll learn how to monitor persons bathing or surfing in the sea and assist the team with dry incidents under the supervision of a Senior Lifeguard.

About you

These roles are intended for those who wish to become qualified lifeguards, they provide a pathway into lifeguarding for those who do not currently have the appropriate qualifications or do not currently meet our fitness or competency standards. They have been designed as a stepping-stone to becoming a fully qualified beach lifeguard. You must be:

• enthusiastic with a positive attitude
• focused, vigilant, and proactive
• a good communicator who enjoys working as part of a team
• approachable and passionate about helping people stay safe
• Pass fitness and competency tests and meet health and eyesight requirements, as the job can be physically demanding.

The RNLI is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Rigorous checks, including enhanced DBS checks, will be conducted for successful applicants. Suitability to work with children may also be explored during the interview.

If you meet the above requirements and have a passion for helping others, we invite you to join our team this season!

Please note: Due to the high volume of applications, some lifeguard areas may close vacancies before the official closing date, so apply today!

Safeguarding

The RNLI is committed to safeguarding; protecting a person’s health, wellbeing, and human rights, enabling them to live free from harm, abuse, and neglect. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment and have a zero-tolerance approach. The suitability of all prospective employees and volunteers will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment. This will include relevant criminal record checks being carried out dependent on the eligibility of the role. (England & Wales; DBS check, Scotland; Disclosure Scotland PVG, Northern Ireland; Access NI, Republic of Ireland; Garda Vetting; International, International Child Protection Certificate process).

Diversity at the RNLI

Our staff and volunteers have been saving lives at sea without prejudice for 200 years. We respect and value diversity of background, skills and perspectives within our teams, and consider it essential to help us deliver a world-class lifesaving service. We are an inclusive organisation and welcome applications from everyone. In addition to having the skills needed for the role, we also look for applicants who share our commitment to living our RNLI values (trustworthy, courageous, selfless, and dependable), and helping us work towards Our Vision: To save Every One.