Warm welcome from Southend volunteer lifeboat crews for marathon fundraiser Alex
Southend on Sea's RNLI lifeboat station volunteers eagerly awaited the arrival of Alex Ellis-Roswell on Sunday afternoon (1 October). Alex is on the last leg of a marathon 9,500 mile fundraising walk for the RNLI.
Alex, 24, a sheep farmer from Canterbury, started his walk from Margate on 3 August, 2014 aged 21 as a tribute to his late father. The idea came as many do, over a pint with mates in the local pub, with Alex deciding that he wanted to do something positive for charity and put something back into the community.
With an interest in boating within the family, the RNLI, the charity that 'Saves lives at Sea' was an obvious choice.
The walk covering the 9,500miles, around more than 230 RNLI stations in the UK and Ireland, has seen Alex wear through nine pairs of boots along the way and raising £60,000 to date, with hopefully a £95,000 target being reached. As he says: 'That would make it a nice £10-00 per mile'.
Alex has stayed in churches, shelters, as well as many lifeboat stations along the way, reaching Southend Lifeboat Station via Wallasea Island, Rochford, after leaving Burnham-on-Crouch lifeboat station earlier in the morning.
Members of Southend Lifeboat Station took him for a quick celebration pint, before a meal out, a good night’s rest and a hearty full English breakfast to help him on his way on to the London lifeboat stations the next morning.
Alex explained that he had 'met many enthusiastic and unassuming people along the way, whether it be lifeboat volunteers or other members of the public, at a time when people have such busy lives, I was most grateful for their support'.
'The marathon walk will finish at Minnis Bay, near Margate, Kent on Saturday 11th November and I am sure Alex will receive a really warm welcome.' said Southend Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer, Den Freeman. 'The best of luck Alex from all at Southend Lifeboat Station'.
Alex can be contacted via Facebook at facebook.comalexellisroswell and donations can be made at bt.com/donatetolifeboats.
RNLI media contacts:
- Denis Freeman - Southend Lifeboat Station Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer. Tel - 07710406661, [email protected]
- Paul Dunt, Press Officer(London/ South East) Tel- 0207 6207416 / 07786668825 [email protected]
- For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789
RNLI online:
For more information on the RNLI, please visit www.rnli.org.uk. News releases and other media resources, including RSS feeds, downloadable photos and video, are available at the RNLI Press Centre. For more information and photos on Southend on sea lifeboat station go to www.southendlifeboat.org
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.