HMS Puncher is tasked primarily to provide a sea based training platform for the students of the University of London Royal Naval Unit. However, the ship is also used to train Combined Cadet Forces and Sea Cadet Corps members and provide navigational training platform for young officers in the Fleet and Royal Marines preparing to navigate landing craft. Outside of the training role, the ship takes part in high profile PR events around the country as she is able to get into smaller ports not visited by larger platforms and she assists in recruiting programmes.
The Ship's Company consists of a permanent staff of the Commanding Officer, 2 Senior Rates and 2 Junior Rates, but can take up to 12 students with Training Officers usually embarked when conducting navigational training. Whilst at sea, students are able to put into practice navigation and seamanship skills they have learnt in the classrooms. These include chart planning, acting as Officer of the Watch, using the ship's radar and carrying out seamanship evolutions from anchoring to securing alongside. Instruction is given in engineering, firefighting, damage control and ship handling. Sea Weekend training is usually limited to visiting UK coastal ports but the Easter and Summer deployments have included visits to France, Holland, Belgium, Norway and Ireland. The ship's motto is "Never Give In".