Pupils at King Charles’s former school, Gordonstoun School in Moray, Scotland, have begun operating a round-the-clock Coastguard support service, marking a UK first for any educational institution.
The operational support team, consisting of eight senior students between 17 and 18 years old, will assist HM Coastguard with coordinating emergency search-and-rescue responses throughout north-east Scotland.
Working from behind the scenes, the young volunteers will handle communications and logistical tasks during incidents, enabling professional coastguards to focus on frontline operations.
Two Coastguard-trained staff members from the school will maintain strict supervision of the students throughout all callouts.
King Charles’s former school makes British history with 24/7 Coastguard support service
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Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, opened the original watchtower facility in 1955, which the then-Prince Charles used during his time as a pupil at the school.
Speaking in a television broadcast in 1977, Charles described his teenage involvement with the Coastguard unit as “extraordinarily exciting and rewarding”.
Princess Anne officially opened the new Winthrop-Young Gordonstoun Coastguard Centre last year, replacing the historic watchtower structure.
Assistant Chief Coastguard John McBride praised the arrangement, stating: “This partnership with Gordonstoun is a powerful example of how a local community can make a genuine contribution to lifesaving work.”
The Winthrop-Young Gordonstoun Coastguard Centre
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GORDONSTOUN
The operational support team comprises five girls and three boys who have undergone extensive preparation for their roles.
Their training has included intensive sessions covering communications protocols and first aid, leaving them among the most highly qualified students at the institution.
The team operates from a purpose-built facility specifically designed for Coastguard operations, which the Princess Royal inaugurated during her visit last year.
Students have been organised into watch teams that alternate their availability, ensuring continuous coverage for HM Coastguard’s north-east operations whenever emergencies arise.
Gordonstoun School pupils undertake a Coastguard skills exercise, on the coastline near the school campus
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Beyond the eight on-call members, a total of 31 Gordonstoun pupils currently contribute to supporting HM Coastguard activities.
Richard Cavaye, station officer of the Gordonstoun Coastguard OST, explained the demands placed on participants: “Going on call 24/7 is a big commitment for the students. They could be in a maths class or in bed during the middle of the night, and suddenly their pager goes off.”
He emphasised the need for constant readiness, noting: “They must be ready to respond immediately at all times, but they are really excited about getting the opportunity to support our local communities by assisting with real ‘live’ emergency incidents.”
When an alert comes through, team members gather at the Coastguard centre to collect equipment before deploying to the forward control point.
Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles pictured at Gordonstoun in 1967
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Molly Warren, 18, one of the team members, expressed enthusiasm about the milestone: “We’ve been training hard for the opportunity to go on-call and we are all looking forward to putting our training into practice and supporting HM Coastguard.”
She added: “We feel we have a lot to offer and hope that our year will be the first of many from Gordonstoun to support HM Coastguard on live search and rescues.”
Mr McBride highlighted the dedication demonstrated by those involved, saying: “What is particularly impressive is the level of commitment shown by the students and staff.”
