Mumbles Lifeboat's start Baton relay in Wales
The Queens Commonwealth games Baton arrived early in the village this morning
The volunteer crew of the Mumbles lifeboats started this mornings Queens Commonwealth relay.
Swansea was the first stop in Wales for the baton relay.
The three-hour Swansea leg of the relay started at Knab Rock in Mumbles at 7.30am before travelling along the promenade to the National Waterfront Museum
The Mumbles Lifeboat crew delivered the Queen’s Baton to Cllr Philip Downing, Lord Mayor of Swansea, and former Great Britain hockey captain Anne Ellis.
Baton bearers included former Wales rugby captain Ryan Jones, boxer Enzo Maccarinelli, Swans legend Alan Curtis, ex-Swans hero Lee Trundle, Swans captain Leon Britton, Paralympic swimming gold medallist Aaron Moores, and Matthew Rees, a Swansea Harrier who sacrificed his own time at the London Marathon earlier this year to help an injured runner over the finish line.
Lifeboat Operations Manager Tim Conway said 'There's an incredible pride amongst the crew to be asked to be part of the the day. They're all volunteers and have taken time out of their everyday life to save lives on our coast so to be recognised in the relay is a great opportunity for them to highlight the work of the RNLI as a charity'.
Key facts about the RNLI
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is the charity that saves lives at sea. Our volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service in the United Kingdom and Ireland from 238 lifeboat stations, including four along the River Thames and inland lifeboat stations at Loch Ness, Lough Derg, Enniskillen and Lough Ree. Additionally the RNLI has more than 1,000 lifeguards on over 240 beaches around the UK and operates a specialist flood rescue team, which can respond anywhere across the UK and Ireland when inland flooding puts lives at risk.
The RNLI relies on public donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. As a charity it is separate from, but works alongside, government-controlled and funded coastguard services. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824 our lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved at least 140,000 lives. Volunteers make up 95% of the charity, including 4,600 volunteer lifeboat crew members and 3,000 volunteer shore crew. Additionally, tens of thousands of other dedicated volunteers raise funds and awareness, give safety advice, and help in our museums, shops and offices.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter 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 or by email.
The RNLI is a charity registered in England and Wales (209603) and Scotland (SC037736). Charity number 20003326 in the Republic of Ireland