Sunderland RNLI Harbour Day raises £2,000

The day was organised by station volunteers and members of the fundraising guild and included stalls and activities for all to enjoy.

The event was opened with a joint search and rescue demonstration involving RNLI volunteers and a UK Coastguard rescue helicopter from Humberside.

Live music was provided throughout the event by the local steel pan band Pantastic.

Several local businesses supported the event contributing raffle prizes, including D'aqua, Fitness 2000, Port of Call, Triple six tattoo studio and Bion restaurant.

Hours after the initial total was announced, a further donation of £250 was made by Andrew Grey Funeral Directors to make the event total up to £2,000.

James Jamieson Lifeboat Operations Manager at the Sunderland RNLI station, said: ‘I would like to say a huge thank you to all of the members of the public who came along to support today’s event. We are also extremely grateful to Andrew Grey and the other local businesses that supported the event by making donations and contributions towards the day. The money raised is vital to our charity and its continued work; the ongoing public support we receive means that we here in Sunderland and the RNLI as a charitable organisation can continue to save lives.'

ENDS

Photo - Sunderland youngsters Amelia and Alanna Thompson onboard D class inshore lifeboat.

Video - Onboard footage taken during todays search and rescue exercise between RNLI and UK Coastguard.

Notes to editors

• Sunderland RNLI Lifeboat Station is the oldest continually operational lifeboat in the United Kingdom. It was originally opened in 1800 before being adopted by the RNLI in 1865.

• Sunderland RNLI Lifeboat Station has a profile on Twitter (SunderlandRNLI) and Facebook (RNLI Sunderland) where supporters can keep up to date with station specific activities and news.

• Sunderland RNLI Lifeboat Station operates two inshore type lifeboats: An Atlantic 85 8.3m inflatable capable of 35 knots and a D Class (IB-1) 4.5m inflatable capable of 25 knots.

RNLI media contacts

For more information please telephone:

Paul Nicholson, Sunderland RNLI Press Officer on 07957 494 077 or email - [email protected] or

Alex Richards, Sunderland RNLI Press Officer on 07540 530 395 or email - [email protected]

As an alternative please contact Alison Levett, Media Relations Manager North on 07786 668 912 or [email protected] or RNLI Headquarters Public Relations on 01202 336000.

Key facts about the RNLI

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.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.