Annual bikers’ visit gives a boost to funding at West Kirby RNLI Station
Local bikers supporting Nathaniel’s Wish visited West Kirby RNLI Station on Sunday 4 September to show their support for the vital role played by the station in the form of a ‘tea and coffee’ drop in.
Over 200 motorcyclists from around Wirral, including Nathaniel Jones and his family, visited the station to raise funds. Visits during the past four years have generated over £2,000 for the RNLI.
Nathaniel’s Wish was created 10 years ago after Nathaniel (20) was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive Clear Cell Sarcoma. This motorcycle and trike charity event takes place on the first Sunday of every September, and raises money for children with cancer (CHICs charity no 1003134) and the RNLI.
Supporters ride out dressed as pirates and Chris Jones, Nathaniel’s dad, says: ‘The pirate theme and the RNLI go hand in hand. The crew do a fantastic job and are very supportive.’
West Kirby RNLI celebrated its 50th anniversary earlier this year and has carried out over 800 rescues since 1966. The station is manned by volunteers from a variety of sailing and non-sailing backgrounds, and fundraising initiatives enable the station to continue to provide a much needed emergency service.
The station houses a D-class lifeboat, which is an inshore lifeboat (ILB). The D-class has been the workhorse of the service for over 50 years. The inflatable D-class is highly manoeuvrable and usually operates closer to shore than all-weather lifeboats and is specifically suited to surf, shallow water and confined locations, often close to cliffs, among rocks or even in caves. It provides an invaluable service in the River Dee and West Kirby RNLI continues to offer an essential role in bringing assistance in emergency situations alongside other emergency services.
Dave Henshaw, West Kirby RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, says: ‘This annual visit is always a treat as we enjoy the chance to show local people the inside of the West Kirby lifeboat station and explain the work that we do. The generosity of local people and their support helps to keep this station at the heart of the community so that we can continue to save lives.’
Notes to editors
• West Kirby lifeboat station has been operating since 1966. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to www.rnli.org.uk/westkirby
• For further information about Nathaniel’s Wish Trust please contact Gill Jones on: 07930 757233.
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For more information please telephone Ed Rowland, RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on: 07429 277294 or [email protected]
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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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