Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade: UK's oldest life-saving team ready to act at the coast since 1864

Julia Barthram joined the Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade for a training session to see how the team is operating 160 years on from its set-up for ITVX

From shipwrecks to surfing gone wrong, a band of life-saving volunteers has been ready to respond to accidents and emergencies along the North Tyneside coast for 160 years.

Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade (TVLB) was set up in 1864 in the wake of two shipwrecks in the mouth of the Tyne which claimed the lives of dozens of people.

This dedicated search and rescue team has been poised to provide its help to those in need at a moment's notice ever since.

Based at the Watch House, perched on a hill overlooking the mouth of the Tyne, the brigade began operating on 5 December 1864.

Less than a fortnight earlier, on the night of 24 November, two ships ran aground on The Black Middens, rocks just off Tynemouth.

Ships would often run into trouble due to The Black Middens, rocks also known as the 'devil's teeth', just off the Tynemouth shoreline. Credit: ITV Tyne Tees

Dave Bell, Watch House Director, said: "The general public of Tynemouth came down to watch these two shipwrecks, and tried to help the coastguard but didn't understand which ropes they were pulling or why they were pulling on particular ropes at particular times.

"Effectively, on that night they watched 34 people die within 100 metres of the shore.

"Consequently there was a huge public outcry and one man, John Morrison, came up with the idea that if we'd had a band of trained men then maybe, just maybe, we could have saved more lives.

"That's how we were brought into existence."

John Morrison came up with the idea of a band of life-saving volunteers who could be at the ready in times of a crisis. Credit: Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade

From that moment on, volunteers were trained up to use the rocket lifesaving apparatus - commonly known as the breeches buoy - at a time when a bustling ship industry meant the Tyne was a hive of activity.

"It was a massively busy coastline," added Dave. "That's why, when the tragedy happened in '64, there was such a public outcry."

The brigade saved 330 lives using the breeches buoy - but as the shipping industry dwindled overtime, so too did the need for the equipment.

Wind the clock forward 160 years and, while the Watch House is now a museum, and the breeches buoy no longer in use, the team is still on hand.

The Watch House, now a museum, is home to a model of the rocket lifesaving apparatus, also known as the breeches buoy. Credit: ITV Tyne Tees

However, the nature of its rescues has changed dramatically.

Members of the TVLB are nowadays more likely to find themselves at the aid of those who have come into trouble while enjoying everything this stretch of coast has to offer.

Heather Peacock, a volunteer and a director, said: "We cover from Tynemouth up to Blyth, you could get called to a beach, to a cliff, to a river potentially, so you never really know what's coming in."

She said the unknown of what is to come is part of the appeal, adding: "Whenever a call comes in you get a little adrenaline rush of 'what is it - what am I going to be doing now?'

"The reality is it can go off any time of day or night. You can't ever plan for it but when the call does come in I try to make sure I respond quickly, get my kit on quickly and get to scene as quick as possible."

Volunteer Heather Peacock says she enjoys being able to help people in their time of need. Credit: ITV Tyne Tees

Over the last two decades alone, the number of call-outs has jumped from around 30 a year to 130 a year - as people make use of the coast.

The varied nature of call-outs mean the team needs to be trained up across different disciplines, meeting every week to keep on top of all those skills.

They have to hit coastguard standard - and continue to adapt to meet the evolving demands of their rescues.

Bill Westall, who joined the team in 1981, is one of six currently taking a first responder course - the first step to being a paramedic.

He said: "[At] a lot of our emergencies, we often have to wait maybe an hour for an ambulance, so you can have someone in dire straits.

"We try and stabilise them ourselves before the ambulance gets there and give them the best chance of survival."

The Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade have to keep up skills in order to be ready for any potential call-out. Credit: ITV Tyne Tees

As one of the longest-serving volunteers, Bill has seen first-hand the changing nature of the brigade's role, including recently to more emotionally challenging call-outs.

"Unfortunately at the moment, a lot of it is responding to people threatening to jump or who have jumped," he continued.

"When somebody does go off, that's the worst part of the job. But with experience you get through it and we've got a good support network in the brigade.

"We always talk about things and don't let it fester."

The Watch House was designed to look out to sea so volunteers could spot possible disasters before they happened. Credit: ITV Tyne Tees

To be there in someone's time of need is what motivates the team to give up their free time.

This means people can enjoy the coast knowing there is a safety net in place if something does go wrong.

Heather said: "It's really satisfying to be there in the moment and be part of a team that's skilled and really dedicated."

A trailblazer, TVLB was the first of its kind and one of only two still in existence.

With local volunteers still as committed to protecting their community, that seems unlikely to change any time soon.

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