Celebrating 21 years of service at TVLB
At the age of just 36, Captain Peter Lilley was awarded his 20 years service medal for his continuous service at Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade, which is the Declared Facility to HM Coastguard in North Tyneside. Now in his 21st year, we talk to Peter about his time in the Brigade so far and find out about the highs and lows of his service.
Reflecting on your Personal Journey
How did you first get involved with TVLB, and what motivated you to join?
My parents and sister were all part of community groups when I was younger, supporting the local school, church and Brownie/Guide groups – and my Dad was on the crew at Cullercoats and then Tynemouth RNLI. Growing up in a family where you look to help others undoubtedly influenced me joining the Brigade. However, the key moment came in May 2002 when my Dad decided I needed another hobby so, at the age of 14, he brought me down to a Brigade training night. I was immediately welcomed into TVLB and I haven’t really stopped since!
Can you share some of your most memorable moments from your 20 years of service?
As a team we’ve completed some technical and challenging rope rescues – thankfully, we attend relatively few compared to some of our flank teams but that means the ones we have been involved with tend to stick in the memory. There are three, completed by my colleagues Adam, Dan & Louis where I was in a co-ordinating / leadership role that particularly stick in the memory – particularly the one by Adam where we needed to rescue two young lads stuck on a ledge – it involved closing a road, setting up kit in the garden of a care home, and coping with torrential rain.
I’ve been privileged to play a part in the wider Brigade and that’s allowed me to be part of our 150th Anniversary Celebrations, help restore the Watch House, and develop our rescue vehicles and they are all events that I think the Brigade is proud of, and on a personal level I’ve enjoyed contributing to.
What has been the most rewarding part of your time in the Brigade?
It’s 100% about the people I’ve volunteered with – and then those that we’ve been called out to help. The Brigade has such a range of ages, backgrounds and experiences in its membership that you meet so many interesting and lively characters – some have become great friends and even those you maybe don’t become very close to still end up sharing very emotive and challenging experiences with and coming through the other side of that is always very rewarding. Ultimately, our top aim is help those that need help so being able to do that is what keeps me motivated.
How has your role and responsibilities evolved over the years?
The Brigade I joined in 2002/3 is still very much present in the sense that the goal and aims have stayed consistent – to help those in difficulty; to look after our artefacts and celebrate our history; and to educate, especially children, on how to enjoy the coastline safely and responsibly. The organisation has evolved as society has in the past 20 years and I think we’ve been able develop and enhance all three offerings across the past two decades.
On a personal level I’ve been very heavily involved in managing the Brigade since I returned from University in 2008 – this is absolutely done as part of a team and is by no means an individual effort.
Due to a tragedy in 2009 when our Chairman Will Hogg died, I became a Captain of the Rescue Team the following year – this was probably earlier than I anticipated that it may happen but I hope I’ve been able to step up to the void that was left. After supporting John for many years, I took over from him as Secretary in 2018 and have looked to continue to formalise and organise our structure and processes so that they are clear, but also help those in posts carry out their roles efficiently.
It’s often joked that I love a rule or to write a policy – and while I don’t quite like thinking of myself like that – I do think I’m capable of verbalising / detailing a process or intention so that it helps those utilising it.
Looking back, what have been some of the biggest challenges you faced during your service, and how have you overcome them?
From a rescue perspective there has been some incredibly emotional and upsetting incidents that we’ve been called to and it’s difficult to stop the feelings overcome those involved. I’d like to think that by experience and the fact I try to be personable and supportive of colleagues (both in TVLB but in the other services we work alongside) we’ve been able to work through the emotion and ensure we’re still being effective and doing the best we can for the casualty.
In terms of the Brigade in general I think we had a bit of an unfair reputation when I joined as being a bit behind the times and not terribly modern – I always thought this was really unfair because actually, in the field of maritime rescue, the Brigade has always been at the forefront of innovation and technology and during my time the focus has been on keeping us moving forward and looking at how we can do things better both for ourselves, and the people we are called out to help. In my early years in the team, the fact that this was done by a generally older group was often unfairly looked down on, but those individuals paved the way for the 21st century rescue team we are. I think we overcame those difficulties by being committed to development and to giving opportunities to those with the energy and enthusiasm to be part of the Brigade.
Has there been a specific rescue operation or incident that stands out to you as particularly meaningful or impactful?
Unfortunately the first couple of fatalities I was involved in are quite resonate in my thoughts – especially when new members join and attend incidents with the same outcome. I know the impact they had on me so I’m very mindful of ensuring we as a Brigade are supporting those we may be having similar thoughts and considerations as it can be quite a difficult time in the days afterwards.
Beyond that I have proud memories of some of the first aid calls we’ve had where casualties have been injured in relatively inaccessible spots on the coastline and they’ve really needed the TVLBs help to get them to safety. 2014 was a big year for the Brigade as we celebrated our 150th anniversary and secured the restoration of the Watch House which had been years in the planning. The last call of the year on 29th December involved a gentleman who slipped down a path towards the northern end of Whitley Bay beach. It was around 9am on a brilliantly crisp winter’s morning, which meant the path was completely frozen and the whole terrain was quite threatening from an access and safety perspective. We had to work hard and use a lot of our kit and capabilities to get the gentleman off the beach and to an ambulance – we were worried he was quite badly hurt due to the fall and I remember the fact everything ran smoothly and we quickly had him on the promenade and handed him over to the ambulance crew.
He contacted us afterwards and was very genuine in his thanks for the help he was given.
You’re now a very experienced Captain, are there any people that you’ve looked up to as mentors or been of significant influence / to help you along this journey?
The Brigade has had a lot of members called ‘Dave’ during my time and I think they’ve all been memorable – Whether that be Dave Bell – Captain, Officer, and father figure to me – to David Payne – who is without doubt the smoothest and most effective operator we’ve had when knocking our metal stakes into the ground to create anchors.
Returning to Dave Bell, he’s helped hold the Brigade together across the past three decades, and while he absolutely hasn’t done this on his own, he’s been a consistent and reliable force for good, especially for keeping the Rescue Team, and our equipment, up to date and modern.
Alongside Dave, John Wright, our Chairman, has been incredibly influential for me. We’ve celebrated some great achievements for the Brigade together, and then bickered like schoolchildren over naming processes for electronic files! I used to work for John and I witnessed first hand the difficulties in balancing work, family and Brigade and the fact that it does take a collective effort, and sacrificing on some things you might enjoy or want to do when the callout comes calling. John can be rather direct and given the near 40 year age gap between us it’s not surprising that we have different views and understandings on some things, but he’s definitely taught me about the importance of looking at the bigger picture and the need to, when in key roles at the Brigade, set aside a personal view to ensure the right cause of action or decision for the organisation is followed.
There are many others who have helped me and the Brigade during my tenure, but I’d also single out Dan, Gordon & Jonny who are a similar age to me and have been with me throughout all, or the majority of my time in the team. We all come at things from a slightly different angle but it’s helped to balance out priorities and ensure that my experience has actually been pretty fun and enjoyable on the whole.
Impact on the Team and the Community
In what ways do you think TVLB has impacted on the local communities you’ve serve?
I very much see the Brigade as being supported, and ultimately, funded by the local area and like to think that in return we’ve always been there when needed. Yes we have received donations from national organisations, but often there is a local connection or individual who has championed our cause. While we are always looking to raise our profile, I do think there is a pretty good knowledge of TVLB in North Tyneside and I think that’s largely due to reputation and longevity – there’s an understanding that the community has needed the Brigade for the past 160 years – and will do moving forward. There is a big responsibility on me and the others in the Brigade to continue the legacy and being there when the community needs us – but I don’t see it as a pressure as you know we’re well supported and many people are willing to do what they can to help us keep going.
How has the role of the TVLB evolved in the last 20 years?
From a rescue perspective we’ve absolutely had to become more professional and also resilient – the expectations set by the Coastguard of our technical skills have increased hugely. This has mainly been to ensure standards are the same nationally and coastal resources broadly offer the same response wherever they are deployed – as an independent team this has been, and remains, challenging for the Brigade to achieve. I think we’ve managed to meet the standards for the past 20 years, but the requirements continue to evolve and we will need to keep up with this across the next two decades.
In terms of resilience, we’ve also had to ensure we can respond to, and look after, casualties at times and locations where in the past other emergency services may have traditionally been the lead agency or able to respond sooner. Not all services have had the resources and capabilities they may have wanted at points, and I’ve witnessed the Coastguard, and therefore the Brigade, need to diversify to support others.
As a Brigade I think we’ve had to be relatively reactive to situations that have happened to us – a lot of which was linked to funding needed to restore the Watch House. Over the past five years I think we’ve just started to be able to really take the initiative and forward-plan and that’s helping us achieve more and reduce the burden on the members a little.
Can you speak to how the TVLB works with other emergency services during call-outs
So it’s really rare now that we attend an incident where just the Brigade is present. We’re regularly jointly called out with our colleagues at Blyth Coastguard, or to support the work of the RNLI. We also work in support of the Police and Ambulance Service a great deal, and then with the Fire Service on certain incidents, especially on the River Tyne.
The specifics of the callout will dictate exactly how we work together – in general the Brigade isn’t normally the one offering the ‘life saving’ intervention but we often have a crucial supporting role in facilitating another service accessing a casualty, and then helping them with extraction. Given our expertise, we commonly need to create safe working conditions for other services.
It was really frustrating when I first joined as we didn’t always have good relations with all the organisations we regularly worked with and it always felt ridiculous to me – thankfully that’s now pretty much a thing of the past and most of the big multi-agency incidents we have go smoothly, even if they are often the most complex and intense calls we attend.
Looking Ahead
What advice would you give to someone considering joining TVLB – what can it offer to volunteers?
Being in the Brigade has definitely led to me meeting and volunteering around people who I just wouldn’t have had contact with otherwise – throughout my 20 years in TVLB we’ve had a diverse group – although all likeminded in terms of wanting to contribute to the community and help others.
I’m not afraid to admit that I’m not amazingly technically minded when it comes to some of our skill areas but others, who are, aren’t so good at planning, organising and communicating, which I think are some of my strengths – so you quickly learn that it takes different people and skill sets to have an effective team.
The Rescue Team commitment is demanding – you need to be prepared to train regularly and also be on call a fair bit. Most of our calls are evenings or weekends so being willing to give up time to respond to emergencies is important. However, it’s also about balance and we’re always weary of anyone who overcommits as it’s impossible to do everything.
As you reflect on the past two decades, how do you see the future of search and rescue evolving?
Over time I think we will be able to continue to use technology to help make our roles safer, and to help people quicker. Drones are an example of this, but ultimately you’ll still need good numbers of people to respond to incidents too.
The growth of coastal based leisure activities and also people in crisis accessing cliffs and beaches has driven the continuation of high numbers of callouts that the Brigade has faced. In many respects we’ve been fortunate that our incident levels have been relatively stable for the past 15 years as some teams have seen real increases in the last 2-4 years. I don’t see the need for the Brigade particularly changing anytime soon, and I’m confident the team will keep developing and upskilling to meet the needs of the people we’re called to help.
Personal Impact and Legacy
How has your work with TVLB shaped outlook on life?
I think this is a really interesting question for me because TVLB has been part of my life for so long now. On one side the difficult callouts has made me value the friendships and opportunities I have had, and continue to have. The volunteering and the people I’ve worked with have taught me to be supportive and approachable (or at least try to be!).
Quite a few years ago, Jonny said to me that I need to remember that not everyone wishes to be as involved and committed to TVLB as I am – sometimes through choice but also sometimes because they are limited for other reasons (work/family etc). I think understanding that more has helped me appreciate what contribution people can make and to try to facilitate and help them do what they wish to do.
What keeps you motivated and passionate about your voluntary work after 20 years of service?
I really enjoy being out and about on the coastline – The stretch from King Eddie’s through to St. Mary’s Lighthouse is particularly breathtaking so I often see it as an honour to be able to help people and do it in such stunning surroundings.
I do think we, as a Brigade, we’re good at what we do. I enjoy being a part of that and being able to positively help others in need. It’s awesome coming away from a rescue when you know we’ve helped shape a successful outcome.
I also just really enjoy the team environment and being in amongst that. I was very much nurtured by the Brigade when I was younger so it’s a privilege to be able to support others and keep the TVLB legacy going.
How do you maintain a work-life balance, especially when dealing with the often demanding and unpredictable nature of your role?
‘Badly’ is probably a response some (such as Helen, my wonderful wife) would give to this but I think that’s a little harsh.
I’m currently in a position where I have time to do lots with the Brigade and I enjoy doing that – I’m unashamedly at home amongst admin and paperwork and I know others, who are absolutely key to the Brigade, are less comfortable when doing that so It’s good to be able to help them.
I’ve definitely got better at knowing when I need downtime and how to achieve that. I’m fortunate to have an understanding wife, family and friends who know the enjoyment I get from the Brigade and help me with my volunteering, and then relaxing and destressing when that’s needed.
As you celebrate this milestone, how do you feel about the contributions you’ve made to the service over the past two decades?
Proud – proud to have had a good upbringing where community service was seen as an enjoyable and worthwhile thing to do; and then proud to have had the opportunity to do that with the Brigade and do it well.
Congratulations on your achievement and thank you for your service to helping to keep North Tyneside’s coastline safe.