A deck officer with a passion for saving lives at sea has been given the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s Officer Trainee of the Year 2022 award.

Daisy Jarvis, who began volunteering for the RNLI as lifeboat crew while still at school, is currently serving as a third officer in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

She has received the award at the UK Chamber of Shipping’s annual dinner on Monday 6 February at Grosvenor House, London.

Daisy was nominated by her nautical college the Warsash Maritime School (Solent University Southampton) and her sponsoring company the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). The judging panel made particular note of her exceptional leadership qualities when providing support for her peers. Daisy put in in time and effort to help overseas students adjust to the UK education system, stepping in when needed, and developing her own problem-solving skills.

The judges were unanimous in agreeing that she would make an excellent ambassador for the profession and will make an excellent officer.

She said: “I have been a volunteer crew member with the RNLI for over a decade and have previously worked as a commercial skipper, so applying for a cadetship and joining the RFA felt like natural progression for me.

“I have always enjoyed being challenged. A nine-to-five job has never appealed to me and, although being in the Merchant Navy involves long periods away from home, there are also many benefits such as continuous career progression and opportunities to travel.

“I feel honoured to have received such a prestigious award. I knew I had been nominated but I never thought I would actually win. Cadetships are not easy, but I always work hard and complete any task to the best of my ability; I’m grateful that my efforts didn’t go unnoticed. I couldn’t have succeeded without the continuous support from my friends, family, fellow students and lecturers.

“I would like to say a huge thank you to anyone who helped me along the way, either at sea or college.”

Damien Oliver, interim MCA chief executive who presented the award on the night, said: 

“Daisy’s perseverance and welcoming attitude to tackling challenges was behind this expert panel of industry judges choosing her as the 2022 winner. I am honoured to have met her and had the chance to present such a prestigious award to such a deserving winner.

“It demonstrates the level of cadets we have coming through our academies and the abundance of talent we have training for the future.”