A successful open day for the Weston-super-Mare RNLI station as £2000 is raised.
A blustery afternoon on Sunday 19th August saw crowds gather at Anchor Head to observe the volunteer RNLI lifeboat crew, Coastguard Rescue Team and Coastguard Helicopter in action, demonstrating exercises both afloat and ashore.
The charity which is dedicated to saving lives at sea has been raising money towards its new station which will be built on the site of the old Cove Restaurant by Marine Lake. The public took a keen interest in the building plans which were on display for the first time.
The open day was conducted between two sites. Information on the RNLI, Sea Safety advice and activities for the family were carried out in front of the temporary lifeboat station at Knightstone, while static displays were created outside of the RNLI shop at Anchor Head.
The D class lifeboat ‘Anna Stock’ initially carried out manoeuvres afloat before being brought ashore by the crew to join the static displays. The public were then able to see the boat on its carriage, talk with the crew and have photographs taken.
The Atlantic 75 lifeboat ‘Paul Alexander’ which is a recent replacement boat for the now retired ‘Coventry and Warwickshire’, carried out exercises close to the shore for the public to observe man overboard drills, Kayak recovery and then an exercise with the Coastguard rescue team. This involved a crew member swimming ashore to be recovered through the surf by a four man team and placed onto a stretcher highlighting the different skills and techniques that are utilised.
With the weather improving after the drizzle in the morning, the search and rescue helicopter, ‘Coastguard 187’, was able to take off from its base across the Bristol Channel at St. Athan and head towards Weston. It met up with the Atlantic 75 crew and carried out winch lifts to and from the water and the lifeboat to demonstrate how the crews work closely together.
Andy Stone, Atlantic 75 Helm for the open day said ‘We are thankful for all the support and donations given on the day which go towards helping us to continue saving lives at sea. It was great to see so many people observing the demonstrations and taking a keen interest in the work that we do and the safety advice on offer’.
To find out how you can stay safe while enjoying your water activity, visit RespectTheWater.com
RNLI notes to editors
The following photographs should be credited to the RNLI and show the following:
- Atlantic 75 lifeboat ‘Paul Alexander’ ready to launch at Knightstone.
- Coastguard Helicopter ‘187’ lowering winchman on exercise.
- D Class lifeboat ‘Anna Stock’ with Coastguards in the surf.
RNLI media contacts
For further information, please contact Weston-super-Mare RNLI Lifeboat Press Officer Glyn Hayes on 01934 645555 or 07774 181418 or RNLI Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer Cai Budd on 07854199693.
Lifeboats in service at Weston-super-Mare
- Atlantic 75 class Lifeboat named Paul Alexander
- D-Class Lifeboat named Anna Stock
The station was established in 1882 at the request of the local inhabitants and moved into its current boathouse in 1902. In 2013 we had to leave our lifeboat station on Birnbeck Island as the access pier had become too dangerous. The temporary station at Knightstone is until we can get a new station built.
To find out more information about Weston-super-Mare lifeboat and for recent events, please log onto our website or contact Glyn Hayes on 01934 645555.
The RNLI’s annual running costs are around £150m – approximately £410,000 per day – and, as a registered charity, the organisation continues to rely on voluntary contributions and legacies for income
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 www.rnli.org.uk/press
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 over 230 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and has more than 200 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK. 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 140,000 lives.
A charity registered in England and Wales (209603) and Scotland (SCO37736). Charity number CHY 2678 in the Republic of Ireland
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.