Ron Davies MBE from Borth Lifeboat Station, is being recognised for 60 years of dedicated service to the RNLI.

Currently in the role of boathouse manager at age 78, Ron has given six incredible decades to the lifesaving charity. Ron began his service on 10 April 1966 at the age of 16, the day Borth Lifeboat Station was founded. Having been a part of his local lifeboat station since the day it began, he’s taken on many different roles throughout his time with the RNLI.

Ron began as a D class crew member, then progressed through his lifeboat training and became a helm in 1976. Ron has also held the role of launch authority and was the station’s lifeboat operations manager for 30 years, stepping down in 2022.

Dave Reynolds, Borth Lifeboat Operations Manager said: “Ron’s achievement and dedication over decades of saving lives at sea is exceptional. All of us here at Borth RNLI are so proud.

“Ron is still a part of our one crew as boathouse manager, showing his friendly face and keeping us all in check. It’s incredible to have someone around, full of so much experience and stories who’s been here since day one.’

Throughout his career on the lifeboat, Ron has been recognised on two occasions for gallantry during 1978 and 1987. Ron received his first award for the rescue of two people cut off by the tide. Ron said: “It was a summer’s day on 18 August 1978. These two individuals were trapped by the tide, half a mile south-west of the lifeboat station. The crew and I were determined to rescue them in a challenging situation, due to the rocks at the base of the cliffs where they were stranded.

“Thankfully we successfully rescued both casualties.”

Ron received his second award for his high standard of seamanship and leadership in the rescue of two men on 11 July 1987. Along with fellow crew members, Ron successfully rescued the men clinging to a partly submerged rock in dangerous seas and strong winds on board the D class lifeboat.

In 2004, Ron was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, for services to the community. These included as a volunteer at the RNLI, HM Coastguard and Fire Service. In 2013, Ron was awarded the RNLI’s Gold Badge in recognition of his valuable support of the lifeboat service.

Ron’s family have also been involved with the RNLI, living and growing up on the coast of mid Wales. Ron’s late wife Brenda volunteered at Borth’s Lifeboat Station Shop for many years, alongside their two sons who volunteer as part of the lifeboat crew; one of which is Helm Martyn Davies.

Ron’s eldest son and RNLI Helm, Martyn Davies, said: “I am extremely proud of my dad. To dedicate six decades, helping to save lives at sea is a huge achievement. From an early age I have seen what the RNLI means to him, and it was only natural that both my brother and I would follow in his footsteps.

“When I was younger, I remember going fishing with him, he would get me to land our boat up and down the coast, then take it straight back out again. At the time I did not understand the reasoning behind this, it wasn’t until I became a helm at the station, I realised he had already started training me back then!

‘Over the years he has passed his knowledge of the local coastline to us all at the station which has been invaluable on many shouts, and still to this day he is helping to train new crew, his passion for the RNLI is as strong as ever.’

Ewa Crabtree, RNLI Area Operations Manager, said: “We are so lucky as a charity to have incredible volunteers like Ron. He’s given 60 years of service to saving lives at sea.

“It is a phenomenal commitment over the course of a lifetime and this recognition for all those years is so well deserved. We are so grateful to Ron for sharing his incredible knowledge and experience over his many years at the RNLI. Thank you for everything Ron.”