30-year milestone reached for Anstruther Lifeboat volunteer crew member
An Anstruther RNLI crew member has recently surpassed the 30-year service to the station. Gary Hughes was awarded with a long service award at a ceremony at the RNLI Scottish Headquarters in Perth last month.
Gary first joined Anstruther Lifeboat on 1 July 1986 as a shore crew member giving his time and service in the safe launch and recovery of the then all-weather lifeboat The Doctors.
In 1991, Gary and the rest of the Anstruther crew conducted the lifeboat changeover from The Doctors’to the current Mersey class lifeboat, Kingdom of Fife’. In 2003, after 17 years’ service in the launch and recovery of the all-weather lifeboat, Gary was part of the introduction of the new D-Class Rotary Centenary Queen’and a different aspect to shore based launch and recovery with a second boat now on station.
Gary continues to serve the station at Anstruther and can offer a further 17 years’ service in which he will see the third all-weather vessels arrival on station with the Shannon class boat due to arrive in the coming years.
Gary does not shy away from the housekeeping duties in the station and will regularly pop in on his days off work to take charge in keeping our station in prime condition by replenishing the boat food stocks, emptying the bins and even polishing the propellers on the Kingdom of Fife’ which is testimony to the commitment shown by Gary over his 30 years volunteering.
Station Second Coxswain Alex Purves said ‘The time, effort and commitment that Gary has shown over the years is nothing short of remarkable. The pride he takes in the station shows the type of character Gary is. The immense sense of pride we all see in Gary when representing the RNLI has had a massive effect on our station and his passion and commitment is a standard bearer for our new crew members who embark on their volunteering service in the RNLI.'
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Martin Macnamara, Lifeboat Press Officer, 07969 773075, [email protected]
Henry Weaver, RNLI Press Officer for Scotland, 01738 642986, 07771 943026, [email protected]
Richard Smith, RNLI Public Relations Manager for Scotland, 01738 642956, 07786 668903, [email protected]
RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789
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The RNLI charity 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 146,000 lives.
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