'Hats for Survivors' donation to Hartlepool RNLI
Volunteers at the Teesside based ‘Blue Light Babies’ charity recently donated several knitted woollen hats to the Hartlepool RNLI lifeboat station.
The ‘Hats for Survivors’ donation was presented to the station by Blue Light Babies charity member Vicky Coates whose dad Steve Pounder is a volunteer lifeboat crew member at the station.
30- year-old mum of three Vicky said: ‘The idea for the project came from our charity organiser Jo Owen who thought it would be a good idea to help the casualties rescued by the RNLI.
'Over the years my dad has told me stories about how cold casualties can become after being in the sea and the effects of hypothermia, so to help those rescued keep warm, some of the volunteer members at Blue Light Babies made some hats for the RNLI volunteers to give to casualties should the need occur.'
Ray Walker deputy launch authority at the Ferry Road lifeboat station said: ‘This is a very kind donation from the volunteers at the charity and will no doubt be appreciated by any casualties we are looking after who are feeling the cold after being in the sea or otherwise.'
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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