THE RNLI is looking for volunteers to help at their shop on Paget Road.

Just like the charity’s lifeboats, the RNLI’s retail team need a dedicated volunteer crew.

Bill Kitchen is a volunteer shop manager at the RNLI Barry Island visitor centre and shop on Paget Road – one of the UK’s first ever RNLI drowning prevention visitor centres. Volunteering at the shop also inspired him to become a deputy launching authority at the nearby station

Mr Kitchen is responsible for looking after the shop’s volunteer crew, organising rotas, banking, and ensuring products are properly displayed.

Mr Kitchen said: “I retired in 2015 and wondered what I might do. I walked past the RNLI shop before it was the great visitor centre it is today.

“They were looking for more volunteers, I thought they were super and virtually signed up on the spot.

“I absolutely love volunteering in the shop and being part of the RNLI. When I put on my RNLI shirt, I feel very proud.

“I get a tremendous amount of pleasure in helping people and chatting to customers.”

RNLI shops started out as cake stalls run by volunteers to raise money for their local lifeboat station.

RNLI community manager for the area, Rebecca Dabill, said: “These stalls started selling commemorative RNLI products in around 1920 and quickly moved on to selling souvenirs and Christmas cards with all profits helping save lives at sea.

“The first shop to be run as part of an actual lifeboat station opened in 1990.

"Today, we have more than 170 RNLI shops around the coast and inland, all of which are still run by our dedicated volunteers."

She added that they were “delighted” to reopen shops following lockdown and that they are looking for people “who enjoy interacting with others, can provide a high level of customer service and ensure shops continue to be friendly and welcoming places”.

Find out more or apply to volunteer at the Barry shop via https://bit.ly/3LQ9Cc