Dont think, just surf.
Are you young? Enthusiastic? A 'people person'? Do you need a job over the summer?
No?
Then stop reading...
If you answered yes to any of the above (including the title), then read on!
As wave riders we have a deep respect for the ocean.
Not a 'chin-nod' respect, but a respect born of love, mutual reliance and fear... Real respect.
The fear comes from our understanding of the oceans power, because we seek to harness it, to move with it, find a line to slip between her swinging moods and become a part of the expression ourselves.
But even with this understanding, we have to accept that she can be a cruel mistress. And that our lives are on the line as we seek to move, treading as softly as possible, as part of something that can be monstrous and a taker of lives.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institute trains and equips the men and women who go out when no one else will.
When you wouldn't.
Keep that in mind as you read on, see if you fit the profile. This summer you could be a part of the heroism and enduring challenge of the RNLI, while making friends and memories you will never forget.
Broke, but morally conscious...?
Then Face2Face fundraising could be for you...
Do you worry about what the ‘corporate super giant’ you work for is up to behind closed doors? Do you, like many these days, need to believe in the organisation for which you toil?
I feel that these questions should not go unchecked. The world is changing, corporate responsibility is now a pressing issue and there are enough voices taking up the battle cry of ethical conduct, just practice and accountability to be heard over the expensive lawyers employed by perpetrators of ignorance.
It’s a snowballing issue that any young person will be hard pressed to avoid.
Have you ever thought about working for a charity? If, like me, you hold your own morals and beliefs close to your heart then this might be the path to ethical salvation for your summer employment. Of course there are some crises of conscience that abide here as well:
If I’m being paid, isn’t there less money for the charity?
Or…
If I really believed in the charity I would volunteer…
These are questions that any good and intelligent person would ask. There are also other issues that affect charitable giving. Some feel that giving funds or working for a charity that is focussed on an issue overseas and in another country, would be better spent on the problems we have at home, on our own soil and countrymen; which is again, a fair point.
But what if you were fundraising for a British charity that saves, on average, 22 lives a day? That could save your own life one day if you are again, like me, a lover of the ocean and the beach. After all, it is hard to avoid the coast when living on an island…
The charity that I have decided to invest my time in and that I am recommending to you, and to anyone else, is the RNLI.
This summer you could be a part of the Face2Face fundraising team. You would be on the beach throughout the summer, working with likeminded people raising money for (in my opinion) the most morally watertight charity I have encountered.
The RNLI is not government funded and relies entirely on the charitable giving of the British public. Not everyone will donate, but absolutely everyone is under vigilant protection 24 hours a day. Be it hurricane, riptide, accident or flooding the RNLI is always on hand to save lives.
How does this address the, afore mentioned, moral crises you ask?
Well, being paid by the RNLI ensures that enough committed individuals will be on hand to potentially earn in excess of £50, 000 each for the charity, from just 8 weeks of fundraising through the summer. Taking into consideration it only costs £5,000 to train and pay each F2F fundraiser, this seems well worth the investment. Unfortunately there are not enough individuals who can volunteer their time over the summer for no reward but that warm fuzzy feeling, especially in this economic climate. So a potential £45, 000 for each fundraiser, seems justified.
During my summer of 2012 I worked in the South Devon and Dorset area, and found the organisation to be one of the most welcoming, passionate and transparent I have ever encountered. The stories of heroism and sacrifice are many and are made on a day-to-day basis. Lifeboat men are out at sea right now saving someone’s life and risking their own. Without them many more families would lose their loved ones, and to come home themselves they need the best equipment and training there is.
This is where you come in. The RNLI needs young and enthusiastic people to talk to the British public, informing them of the plight of the RNLI. Without the support of the public, the RNLI would only have eight months of free reserves to continue operating, after that the average 22 people they have been saving a week could be lost.
To fundraise for the RNLI eliminates any questions you might have in regard to your own moral conscience, because you are given all the answers! It is your job to convince others of what you believe in.
If you have the same questions as I did, and if you need a summer job next year, I implore you to apply for the Face2Face RNLI fundraising team. Be an active part of the courage, compassion and just cause of the RNLI and in doing so, gain invaluable skills and experience that will stand you in good stead for the rest of your life. A future employer will not ignore a reference from an extremely prestigious and well-respected organisation like the RNLI.
All this, and you get to spend your summer on the beach, getting paid to do something good (with more than ample opportunity for pre/post work sessions). Crew and lifeguards will be risking their own lives for years to come as long as support increases.
Do your bit for saving lives at sea.
The deadline for summer 2013 is the 17th of February, apply now and support the RNLI.
Words by Josef Williams
UKPSN