Volunteering on Hayling Island

Giving time to the island community

Volunteering is part of the fabric of life on Hayling Island. The island's community organisations, charities, clubs and events depend on volunteers to function, and the spirit of giving time and effort for the common good is strong among residents.

The RNLI lifeboat station at Hayling Island is one of the most visible volunteer organisations on the island. The crew members who launch the lifeboat in response to emergencies at sea are volunteers, giving their time to train, to be on call and to put themselves at risk to save others. The station is supported by fundraising volunteers who organise events, run collection boxes and staff the visitor centre.

Hayling Island Sailing Club, the windsurfing clubs and other sports organisations rely on volunteers to run races, coach juniors, maintain facilities and manage club operations. These volunteers give hundreds of hours each year, driven by a love of their sport and a commitment to keeping it accessible and thriving on the island.

The conservation and environmental organisations on the island depend heavily on volunteers. Beach clean events organised by local groups and national campaigns attract residents who want to keep the island's coastline free of litter and plastic waste. Conservation volunteers help to manage habitats, plant trees, clear invasive species and monitor wildlife populations in and around the harbours.

Charity shops on Hayling are staffed by volunteers who sort donations, serve customers and keep the shops running. The revenue from these shops supports national and local charities, and the volunteers provide a valued community service.

Community events, including the Hayling Island Donkey Derby, summer fetes, Christmas markets and village shows, are organised and run by volunteers. These events require planning, logistics, catering, stewarding and clearing up, and the people who take on these tasks do so out of a sense of community pride.

Volunteering on Hayling is also informal and unstructured. Neighbours look out for each other, check on elderly residents during cold weather, collect shopping for those who are housebound and offer lifts to medical appointments. This everyday neighbourliness is a form of volunteering that does not appear in any statistics but makes a real difference to people's lives.

Anyone wishing to volunteer on Hayling Island can contact local organisations directly or enquire at the community centre. The island always needs more volunteers, and new residents are welcomed into the volunteering community.