RNLI centre at Barry Island welcomes lifeguards back to Whitmore Bay

Open year-round on the promenade, the shop and visitor experience has been part of Barry Island since 2017, when it became one of the UK’s first dedicated drowning prevention centres. Today, it continues to play a central role in helping people stay safe at the coast while supporting the RNLI’s lifesaving work.

As the season kicks-off at Easter, the centre will once again act as a base for RNLI lifeguards, who return to patrol Whitmore Bay from Good Friday through to Easter Monday, before weekend cover from 2 May and daily patrols throughout the summer.

Whitmore Bay at Barry Island is one of the busiest beaches in the Vale of Glamorgan, with RNLI lifeguards responding to more incidents here than anywhere else locally. With thousands of visitors expected over the coming months, the RNLI’s presence across the beach and promenade works as one coordinated effort, bringing together lifeguards, volunteer lifeboat crew and the visitor experience team to help prevent incidents and respond when needed.

RNLI Lifeguard Supervisor for the Vale of Glamorgan, Matt Childs, said:

‘It’s going to be great to be back at Barry Island for the start of the season. It’s a brilliant beach, but it can get busy and conditions can change quickly, so having lifeguards on patrol is really important.

‘Being able to use the RNLI shop and visitor centre on the promenade means we’re right at the heart of everything - visible, accessible and able to speak to people before they even head into the water. The volunteers at the shop always have great biscuits too!’

The shop and visitor experience welcomes thousands of people each year, offering a place to learn more about water safety, speak to volunteer RNLI teams and support the charity through the shop.

Alongside lifeguard patrols, Barry Dock’s RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew, water safety team, fundraising and shop volunteers work together throughout the year, forming one team focused on keeping people safe along the coastline.

Olivia Harrison, Chair of Barry Dock added:

‘The shop and visitor experience are right at the centre of our presence at Barry Island and the big yellow wellie is a well know landmark. It’s where conversations about water safety happen every day and where people can connect with the RNLI and support our work.

‘As we look forward to the summer season, we’re looking forward to welcoming our lifeguards back over the Easter weekend and continuing to work together as one team to help keep people safe.’

Visitors are reminded that the safest place to swim is between the red and yellow flags, which mark the area most closely monitored by lifeguards.

If you see someone in difficulty, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.

Notes to editors

· The RNLI Visitor Experience at Barry Island opened in 2017 and was one of the UK’s first dedicated drowning prevention centres, focusing on beach safety education for families and visitors.

· The centre is open year-round and serves as a base for RNLI lifeguards during the patrol season at Whitmore Bay.

· Whitmore Bay is one of the busiest beaches in the Vale of Glamorgan, with RNLI lifeguards responding to more incidents here than anywhere else locally.

· RNLI lifeguards will patrol Whitmore Bay from Good Friday to Easter Monday, then weekends from 2 May, before moving to daily patrols for the summer season.

· The RNLI Visitor Experience welcomes thousands of visitors each year, offering water safety advice and supporting the charity’s lifesaving work through fundraising.

· Barry Dock Lifeboat Station operates as part of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), a charity that saves lives at sea.

· The RNLI provides a 24-hour search and rescue service across the UK and Ireland.

· Barry Dock Lifeboat Station operates an all-weather lifeboat and an inshore D-class lifeboat, providing search and rescue services along the Vale of Glamorgan coast.

For further information, please contact:

Lisa Newberry, Lifeboat Press Officer, Barry Dock Lifeboat Station, 07977 922889. Alternatively, you can contact Claire Fitzpatrick-Smith, Regional Communications Manager on [email protected] or 07977 728315, or contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.

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