THE helm of Bangor lifeboat has received an award celebrating his outstanding efforts in saving lives at sea.
RNLI volunteer James Gillespie was presented with an Excellence in Volunteering Award by Bangor lifeboat operations manager, Captain Byron Griffiths, during a special evening on Monday.
The award, from the council of the RNLI, was conferred in recognition of James’s outstanding contribution to the charity.
“James is the embodiment of the One Crew ethos,” said the RNLI council, whose chief executive Peter Sparkes signed the award.
Praising James for ‘going above and beyond his operational role’, the council also commended him for his positive engagement with the local stakeholders, press and internal teams’, which was ‘integral to the success of both the station’s 60th anniversary celebrations, and the naming ceremony and service of dedication for the station’s new lifeboat, B-944 Ruby Robinson’.
James said the award was ‘totally unexpected and uncalled for’.
“However, I very much appreciate the recognition and would also like to thank all our volunteers who helped make the anniversary celebrations and naming ceremony such a great success.”
