Blackpool RNLI volunteer retires after 50 years of dedicated service
Blackpool RNLI volunteers recently said a very fond farewell to one of their longest serving volunteers, Treasurer Colin Fenton. Colin retired from his voluntary role at the start of March after an extraordinary 50 years of service to the charity.
Colin Fenton became volunteer Treasurer at Blackpool RNLI lifeboat station in 1966. At the time he was the Bank Manager at Williams & Glynn on Bond Street and was the perfect candidate for the role. Colin took his commitment to the RNLI very seriously and dedicated 50 years of his life to the charity, managing all donations with diligence and care. He continued to volunteer for the RNLI long after he had retired from the bank and he will be missed by the whole lifeboat station community.
Over his 50 years of service Colin was recognised by the RNLI on a number of occasions for his dedication and selflessness. Colin routinely went above and beyond what was asked of him, he carried out all of the routine duties of a lifeboat station Treasurer but over the years, he also sent hundreds of personal, handwritten thank you letters to people who made donations to the lifeboat station.
Volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager, Keith Horrocks MBE said ‘Colin has had a long and proud association with Blackpool Lifeboat Station and we will all miss him. We owe him a very significant debt of gratitude for his years of service.’
Volunteer Chairman, Ian Butter added ‘Colin has served our station and the RNLI for over 50 years. To put that into perspective the RNLI had its 193rd birthday recently and it’s amazing to think that our Treasurer has been an RNLI volunteer for more than a quarter of the time that the Institution has existed. We are very proud that he chose to be a part of our station community.’
RNLI media contacts
For more information please contact Esther Lowe Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer, RNLI Blackpool on 01253 508603 or 07917091948. Alternatively please contact Alison Levett, RNLI Public Relations Manager, North, on 07786 668912.
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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