North Devon Tescos have helped to raise over £12,204 for Appledore and Ilfracomb

Each summer, since 2016, all the Tescos in Northern Devon, i.e. Ilfracombe, Braunton, Barnstaple Rose Lane, Barnstaple Taw View, Bideford East the Water, and Westward Ho! have worked with Appledore, Barnstaple and Ilfracombe RNLI Fundraising Guilds, to raise money for Appledore and Ilfracombe lifeboat stations. Volunteers from the Guilds organise bucket collection days whilst Tesco’s own staff organise internal fundraising events and draws. This year Tesco’s Extra at Taw View borrowed an RNLI Lifesavers Jet Ski for their foyer during the bucket collection which attracted great interest and a great photo opportunity for parents and children.

To date £12,204.15 has been raised, and this year the amount was £2045, a sterling effort from everyone involved. Apart from fundraising, these collections provide an enormous opportunity to promote the work of the RNLI, to highlight the need to always respect the water, and to pass on safety messages and warnings, particularly to those on holiday, who do not live by the sea and who do not understand the nuances of tides, rip currents, etc.

From Tesco, Paddy Williams, Barnstaple Extra, Giles Redman, Ilfracombe, and Phil Trotman, Bideford East the Water came to Appledore Lifeboat Station on Tuesday 29 October to present the cheque to Appledore’s Lifeboat Operations Manager Tony Merrill, and the crew. Representing Barnstaple Fundraising Guild at the cheque presentation were David Burgess, Ken Clarke, and Philip Sanders, and representing Appledore Guild were Sandy Peace, John Wilson and Phil and Eve Sargent.

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.