Penzance Coastguard has two weeks to find its next volunteers

Someone stranded halfway down a cliff. A casualty on a beach with no road to it. A missing person somewhere along the coast path, and a line of people walking it to find them. Those are the calls the team at Chyandour Cliff turns out for, and there are places open on it right now. The catch is the window. It shuts at the end of the month.

The role, in four words

Penzance Coastguard Rescue Team is looking for new recruits, and it sets out what the job asks for in four words. Teamwork. Problem solving. Commitment. Resilience.

The question it puts to anyone reading is a simple one. Could you use those skills to help rescue someone stranded on a cliff, assist a casualty on a remote beach, or help locate a missing person along the coast path? That is the working week of a volunteer coastguard rescue officer, whenever the pager goes.

Come for a coffee first

Before anyone commits to anything, the station is opening its doors. Penzance Coastguard Station will be open to anyone thinking of joining on Tuesday 25 August, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. The invitation is to come and have a chat and a coffee and learn more about the role.

The station is at Chyandour Cliff, Penzance, TR18 3LH.

How to apply

Applications opened on 14 August and close on 28 August. Recruitment is open for two weeks only, so there is no waiting until the autumn to think it over.

Full details and the application itself are on the HM Coastguard volunteering page, or you can email [email protected] with any questions.

The dates you would need to keep free

This is the part worth reading before you apply, because the commitment starts early. Applicants need to be able to attend a medical on 13 to 15 October. Membership discussions run through September, and the team says it will try to hold those at your own station this year where possible.

Training then splits in two. Online sessions run on Monday evenings from 2 November to 7 December 2026. Face-to-face initial training follows in the new year, over three blocks: 7 to 9 January 2027 (three days), 15 to 17 January 2027 (three days), and 23 to 24 January 2027 (two days). The full list is on the application link.

Applications close on 28 August.

📷Credit: Penzance Coastguard Rescue Team