Weather no deterrent to volunteers

Sunshine, rain showers, strong winds and hail storms. Walmer’s volunteers endured it all at the 6^th annual Car Wash in aid of the RNLI’s Mayday Fundraising campaign yesterday, 4 May. Hoping to beat last year’s record total of 136, teams of washers and dryers worked through the weather conditions for five hours from 10am to reach a total of 144 vehicles washed, including Royal Mail vans and the HM Coastguard Land Rover. A total of £1315.39 was raised on the day. First through the door was Alistair Bassett, proprietor of the Goose on the Green, Walmer.

Following the event, sponsor and Walmer helm Dan Sinclair said ‘We would again like to thank the people of Deal and Walmer for their continued unfailing support. I would also like to thank our crew with their efforts with the washing and drying, our shop volunteers and helpers for the marshalling of the cars, collecting money and keeping us regularly supplied with food and drink and the team from Peckish in Deal for supplying us with our hot chicken lunches.’

Two RNLI Excellence in Volunteering awards were also presented after the event to Dawn Whitbread and Ann Austin for their work in the station's shop and with the fundraising team.

RNLI media contacts

• Chris Winslade, Lifeboat Press Officer, Walmer Lifeboat Station 01304 374475, 07906 623037 [email protected]

· Paul Dunt, RNLI Press Officer (London/East/South East) on 0207 620 7426, 07785 296252, [email protected]

· For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789

RNLI online: For more information on the RNLI please visit http://www.rnli.org/. News releases and other media resources, including RSS feeds, downloadable photos and video, are available at the RNLI News 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.

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.