Long Service Award for two Littlehampton RNLI helmsmen
Ritchie Southerton and Ross Bowman, both volunteer crewmembers and helmsmen at Littlehampton RNLI lifeboat station have received the RNLI’s Long Service Award in recognition of their twenty plus years’ service to the charity that saves lives at sea.
Ritchie and Ross both joined the Littlehampton volunteer crew in 1996. Ritchie has also spent time with the Thames Lifeboats.
Their dedicated service, experience, expertise and support are greatly valued by everyone at the lifeboat station. Ritchie and his wife along with Ross and his partner, recently attended a celebration at the Guildhall in London where they received their Long Service Awards from the RNLI, in recognition of their time served.
Ritchie, who has worked as a police officer and test driver for Rolls Royce, is about to take his boating skills and knowledge to the Antarctica to work for the British Antarctic Survey for six months, as a boating officer.
When he returns to the UK he will continue responding to his pager and conducting training at Littlehampton Lifeboat Station. When Ross is not responding to his pager, he can be found working in the construction industry as an appointed person and mobile crane operator.
They both join a small group of current and previous volunteer lifeboat crew from Littlehampton RNLI who have served more than 20 years.
RNLI media contacts
- Ray Pye, Littlehampton RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer / 07854 074688, email [email protected]
- Paul Dunt, Regional Media Officer (South East) on 0207 6207416, 07786 668825 email [email protected]
- For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789
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
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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.