Lifeboat Volunteers honour the late Barbara Palmer
Family, friends and members of the local community gathered to remember the late Mrs Barbara (Babs) Palmer who passed away at the age of 92yrs in January 2016
Barbara was one of the biggest local supporters of the volunteers and they have now honoured her by officially naming the Lifeboat Station Boat Hall in her memory.
Mike Roberts Chairman, welcomed everyone to the Station on Sunday morning (26th February), where he said a few words about Barbara and her amazing contributions. He said ‘Barbara was a supporter of the Portishead Lifeboat over many years. Whilst operating as an independent lifeboat service, in 2003 she donated funds that helped the Trust buy a much needed new lifeboat that served through to 2012. That lifeboat was called Denbar Sage (which was short for Dennis, her brother and Barbara Sage). The lifeboat was loved and appreciated by the crew and launched on hundreds of occasions to rescue many people and save lives too. When Barbara passed on in 2016, her generosity continued as she left part of her legacy to the Portishead Lifeboat. This is being used to provide additional benefit to the Station and its crew. In her memory, and at the suggestion of one of the crew, the boat hall at the new Station has been named the ‘Barbara Palmer Boat Hall’. A plaque has been put up on the wall outside as a way of saying thank you. It looks out across the sea which she loved so much and did so much to help keep people safe out on the water.’For anyone wanting to volunteer to support the lifeboat as Barbara did for so many years, just get in touch we would love to hear from you on [email protected] or pop in to our shop at the Station to leave your details, we will get in touch. The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. RNLI notes to editors
Images are ©RNLI Portishead apart from 3
1 Barbara with crew volunteers with a plaque presented to her when Denbar Sage retired from service in 2012
2 Barbara having a personal tour of the new RNLI station in April 2015 with Helen Lazenby
3 Denbar Sage on the water ©Mike Lindsay
4 Barbara’s plaque at the new RNLI Lifeboat Station
RNLI media contactsFor more information please contact Helen Lazenby, volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer, on 07800 595995 or the RNLI Press Office on 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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