Every day of the year the RNLI volunteer crews of the South West are on call, including Christmas Day and New Year. But there's a secret army of people they cannot do without who will also be ready for action.

They are the shorehelpers who help launch and recover the lifeboats around the coast.

It is the shorehelpers' role to ensure the lifeboats are launched to sea safely. For some it is a case of letting go of the ropes that attach the lifeboat to the pontoon, for others the process is more complicated.

Tim Stevens, a shorehelper at Sennen Cove for 14 years, often faces a challenge. When his pager sounds he has to drive 27 miles from Redruth to help recover the Tyne class all- weather lifeboat up its slipway.

"My link with Sennen Cove began when I started going down to the station to take photographs. Then I got involved in helping at lifeboat days. It all evolved from there and now I hope the station see me as a reliable and committed volunteer," he said.

"It's a privilege to be part of the shore helper team at Sennen Cove and I can honestly say it's the best thing I've ever done. It's not always easy standing at the bottom of the slipway waiting to help pass the ropes to the lifeboat as she comes in stern on to be winched back up, but with the excellent training we receive from the RNLI we have a smashing team and a well rehearsed operation.

"The worst thing is battling down to Sennen Cove in the summer traffic, it's a nightmare sometimes."

The Tyne class all-weather lifeboat and the D class inshore lifeboat at Sennen Cove launched on Christmas Day in 2005 and Tim was there to help.