Army skydivers to drop in on Lyme Regis RNLI Lifeboat Week

The week - which last year raised more than £27,000 for the life-saving charity -starts on 22 July, and the Red Devils sill be performing during the afternoon of 25 July.

The freefall team has 15 members, all of whom have seen active service in the Falklands, Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan or Iraq. They are widely acknowledged as among the best display parachutists in the world, and every year carry out spectacular shows at public events promoting the British Army and the Parachute Regiment known as 'The Paras.'

Chairman of the organisers of the week, Irene Roper of the Lyme Regis and Charmouth RNLI Guild, said: 'We are delighted to have secured the Red Devils. They will be a big attraction in the middle of the week.'

Plans for other events are well under way. The fireworks display is scheduled for 28 July, and the popular Three Counties Swing Band perform the same evening. A new event is a water polo match between RNLI lifeguards and the lifeboat crew on 25 July. The official programme for the week will be published in June and available throughout the town.

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.

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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.