Blyth RNLI can now reflect on the Bank Holiday weekend and has had the chance to count the donations that it received and can say that the Tall Ships Regatta has been a great success for several reasons.
The volunteer crew manned the lifeboat station from the Friday morning until the Monday evening and this gave them the chance to meet the public and build relations, and educate visitors on the role of the local station and that of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
The crew were also joined by colleagues and volunteers who represented Fundraising, Respect The Water, Education, Lifeguards and Face to Face - all important elements of the RNLI and which the public may not have been aware of.
The local crew were pleased that they only had to deal with a handful of incidents over the weekend which ranged from towing broken down yachts, checking on reports of swimmers in distress,first aid outside the lifeboat station, together with ensuring that the Parade of Sail took place safely.
The Lifeboat Station's shop proved a hit with the public with more than £8,000 in sales over the weekend.
The public were also very generous in donations with a further £8,500 received via bucket collections and support from other exhibitors at the Regatta.
Although fundraising is important to the Charity the more important task for the weekend was to pass on the message of Respect The Water.com due to the recent incidents around the coastline.
Paul Raine,Deputy Launching Authority said, 'The Regatta and the number of visitors that it brought to Blyth meant we were able to educate the public on important safety messages and also what role the RNLI undertakes.
'We'd like to say "Thank You" to the public for their generosity which enables us to continue to save lives at sea. We hoped the public enjoyed meeting the crew and volunteers as much as we enjoyed the experience and for us as a Charity and a Lifeboat Station the Regatta was a great success.
RNLI media contact
For more information contact Robin Palmer, Blyth RNLI deputy lifeboat press officer, on 07801 290638
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.
