THE newest recruit to a lifesaving team in Weymouth was given a helping hand in his training.

Rod Britton, 58, has joined Weymouth Lifeboat as a volunteer crew member.

A vital part of his crew training at the RNLI College was funded by Lloyd’s Register Foundation, a UK charity connecting science, safety and society by supporting quality research and promoting skills and education.

The foundation is funding the Sea Survival element of RNLI’s Trainee Crew Courses for a further five year period from January this year. This additional funding of £1.06 million will bring the total support for RNLI crew training to just over £2.46 million.

Talking about the training, Rod said: "It was a fantastic course. I especially enjoyed the sea safety, trying out all the different classes of lifeboats and meeting other volunteer crew from around the country."

Rod who was inspired to join up as a volunteer crew member because as a volunteer helper in the Weymouth lifeboat shop for six years he saw the good work that the crew do and wanted to help out even more than he was already. He has since put his training to use as he was part of the crew who assisted a broken down yacht off Portland Bill last month.

His training at the RNLI College in Poole included crucial subjects including how to ‘abandon ship’ with a 4m jump into water; team survival swimming and coping in a liferaft in simulated darkness; how to deal with fires aboard lifeboats; how to right a capsized inshore lifeboat; and the importance of lifejackets.

RNLI Lifeboats Operations Manager Malcolm Wright said: "The support given by LR Foundation is hugely important to the RNLI. We are extremely grateful that the Foundation has chosen to continue to fund sea survival training, which teaches vital core skills to our volunteer crew.

"This training is vital to help keep volunteers as safe as possible while on rescue missions. It equips volunteers with essential sea survival skills; providing them with the courage, poise and self-confidence to save lives even in the most perilous seas."