08/03/2026
💙 Happy International Women's Day 💛
Today, on international Women’s Day, we’re taking a moment to recognise the incredible contribution women make to HM Coastguard.
Some of our photos from the last year, we had the pleasure of a visit from Virginia McVea, Chief Executive Officer of the UK Maritime and Coastguard to our station.
February 23rd 1970, women were officially allowed to become HM Coastguards, with the entry age lowered to 16 — marking a new era for the service.
Although the entry age has since risen to 18, the number of women within HM Coastguard has grown to more than 600 across Coastguard Rescue Teams and full-time officers & staff.
Women now serve in a wide range of essential roles across the service. From responding to incidents along our coastline as part of Coastguard Rescue Teams, to coordinating rescues in operations rooms and supporting counter-pollution, wreck and salvage work, women continue to make a vital contribution to keeping people safe around the UK’s shores.
Coastal Emergency? Call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
