Clacton crew member diagnosis & charity drive

Steve, a long serving and proud member of the Clacton-on-Sea lifeboat crew was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s earlier this year which was a shock for everyone. So, to turn this into something positive and being a loyal RNLI member, he is doing a Challenge walk from Clacton Lifeboat Station to Walton Lifeboat Station and back again. It is around 15 miles and will be doing it in his full RNLI lifesaving kit. This will be on the last Bank Holiday of May 2021.

Steve, an active serving volunteer crew member of the Clacton station since 2011, fully qualified TRiM (Trauma Risk Management) practitioner and a former armed forces veteran serving in the first Gulf war commented:

“The diagnosis of having Alzheimer’s was a shock for me, my family, friends and crew mates, but I have been overwhelmed by the support that everyone has shown me over the last few weeks.”

“I wanted to do something to raise funds for my three nominated charities and turn this difficult situation into something positive, and hence I decided to challenge myself to walk from my local lifeboat station to our flanking station at Walton-on-the-Naze in my full RNLI kit and back again, a round trip of 15 miles.”

“I hope this will show people that even in difficult and challenging situations, we can all do something positive and raise funds for charities that are close to their hearts.”

If you would like to help Steve raise funds for any of his three nominated charities, just click on the links below to donate to these very worthy causes, it’s quick and secure to donate and you will be helping Steve to help others:

RNLI Mayday Mile: https://bit.ly/3fii0SK
Alzheimer’s UK: https://bit.ly/3uIyKtb
The Warrior Within Project: https://bit.ly/3w3dVbW

Keep any eye on the Clacton-on-Sea RNLI Facebook page for updates at: https://facebook.com/ClactonRNLI

Steve will be embarking on his challenge dressed in the full RNLI kit. The inshore lifeboat crew kit consists of a thermal ‘woolly bear’ suit that sits under an all-in-one dry suit, complete with steel-plated wellies, a helmet, thermal gloves and inflatable knee pads, in addition to a foam-filled life jacket with 150 Newtons of buoyancy that can support up to four people in the water.

This kit not only keeps our crew warm while out at sea – it can save their lives when rescues get dangerous. It is essential that we keep each volunteer’s crew kit fully functional and provide replacements if necessary. After all, without their protective kit, many of our crew members would never have made it home safely.

About Steve’s nominated charities.

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 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and, in a normal year, 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 142,700 lives. https://www.rnli.org

Alzheimer’s UK

Our mission is to transform the landscape of dementia forever. Until the day we find a cure, we will strive to create a society where those affected by dementia are supported and accepted, able to live in their community without fear or prejudice. https://www.alzheimers.org.uk

The Warrior Within Project

The Warrior Within Project is asking for help. We are a newly formed organisation based in the heart of Plymouth. We help Veterans with PTSd, who may be isolated or vulnerable. To enable us to reach as many Veterans as possible we are trying to raise enough money to buy a minibus. https://bit.ly/3w3dVbW

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.