At 11 am Coxswain Peter Davies gave the word and the masses, young and old, some in fancy dress, some with four legs raced down to the seashore and threw themselves into the calm sea.
Under the watchful eye of the volunteer crew, inshore lifeboat Craig Steadman and the UK coastguard service, the dippers braved the cold water to welcome in the first day of the new decade. Visitors came from far and wide, many regulars to the dip for a number of years.
After the dip, the cold dippers warmed up with hot drinks and BBQ breakfast baps served by the fabulous fundraising team.
At noon the canons were fired in remembrance of past crew and absent friends.
Coxswain Peter Davies said: ‘We are always so grateful to everyone who turns up to support our New Year’s dip. We have raised over £1700 today making it a fabulous way to start a year of fundraising for the RNLI in Barmouth. Thank you all very much, it’s been a great day’.
For more information please contact Sarah Radford Barmouth Lifeboat Press Officer on 07887492210 or Eleri Roberts, RNLI Regional Media Officer – Wales and North West on 07771941390/01745585162
Key facts about the RNLI
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is the charity that saves lives at sea. Our volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service in the United Kingdom and Ireland from 238 lifeboat stations, including four along the River Thames and inland lifeboat stations at Loch Ness, Lough Derg, Enniskillen, Carrybridge and Lough Ree. Additionally, the RNLI has more than 1,000 lifeguards on over 240 beaches around the UK and operates a specialist flood rescue team, which can respond anywhere across the UK and Ireland when inland flooding puts lives at risk.
The RNLI relies on public donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. As a charity it is separate from, but works alongside, government-controlled and funded coastguard services. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824 our lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved at least 140,000 lives. Volunteers make up 95% of the charity, including 4,600 volunteer lifeboat crew members and 3,000 volunteer shore crew. Additionally, tens of thousands of other dedicated volunteers raise funds and awareness, give safety advice, and help in our museums, shops and offices.
RNLI/Sarah Radford
Volunteer crew member Jackie 'shrek' Thomas with the Williams family
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.
