Salcombe RNLI hosts naming ceremony for B Class Atlantic 85 Lifeboat

The lifeboat arrived at the station in December 2017 and has been funded by a generous donation from a legacy left by the late Gladys Mustoe.

Gladys Mustoe retired from Kings College Hospital in South London in 1999 where she worked for most of her adult life. Her job was to raise funds for the Kings Medical Research Trust. Gladys loved the sea and she enjoyed cruising, particularly in the Mediterranean as she loved the temperate climate. Although very ill with cancer for the last few years of her life, she was determined to carry on as best she could, hardly speaking of the devastating effect the illness was having on her.

Family and friends of Gladys will be very much involved in the naming ceremony.

Mark Dowie, Lifeboat Operations Manager at RNLI Salcombe says: ‘We are really looking forward to the formal naming ceremony of our new B Class lifeboat following her arrival in December. It’s a wonderful occasion for us all and the wider community. We are extremely grateful to Gladys for her generous legacy - it’s an enormous privilege and ensures that the charity’s volunteers at Salcombe have the best possible kit and equipment to continue saving lives at sea as we approach our 150^th anniversary as a station.’

The naming ceremony will start at 10.30am and will conclude with the volunteer crew launching the lifeboat where she will proceed at slow speed past Whitestrand and Normandy to give the local community and visitors a chance to view her.

Notes to editors

• You, or a representative, are invited to attend the naming ceremony on Tuesday 1 May. Please contact David Dancox or Carrie Garrad (contact below) to let them know you’ll be attending and any filming or interview requirements on the day.
• Attached is a photo of Gladys Hilda Mustoe B class Atlantic 85 lifeboat. Credit RNLI/Richard Clayton.
• Photos and video will be available after the event.
• Unfortunately, there is no parking at the lifeboat station or the church.

For more information contact David Dancox, Salcombe RNLI Volunteer Press Officer, on 07720 772227 or email [email protected] or Carrie Garrad, Regional Media Officer on 07786 668847 or email [email protected]

For more information on the RNLI please visit . News releases and other media resources, including RSS feeds, downloadable photos and video, are available at the RNLI Press Centre

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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