Harwich RNLI garden party fundraiser interrupted by the chirping of crew pagers

The garden party fundraiser which raised a fantastic £953.40 for Harwich RNLI was hosted by Rupert and Rachel Cutler, and was in full swing with the crew enjoying cake and coffee with the other guests, when their pagers sounded at 2.50pm. The ninth time since Thursday (26 August) as the volunteers launched to a variety of different incidents as visitors made most of the long weekend.

August comes to a close on a six year high of 87 callouts for the year so far, already eclipsing last year’s total with four months still remaining - 25 coming in the last month. This level of operations for the lifesaving charity can only be achieved with the support of fundraisers such as Rupert and Rachel, the generosity of the community, and the dedications of the volunteer crews.

Rupert Cutler had this to say:

‘Living as we do on the front at Dovercourt, we thought we were in a good position to make use of our sea facing garden to hold an event for Harwich Lifeboat. The fundraising committee got busy baking cakes and the day finally dawned to grey skies and drizzle. Well, the show must go on and as the rain cleared away, we welcomed a steady flow of people to enjoy tea and cake, and to get in early buying Christmas cards. Many of the crew popped in, at least until the pagers sounded and they had to head off to the Boathouse for more important matters. Well, that's what it's all about.’

Rupert went on to say: ‘We had a lovely day and a big thank you is due to everyone who helped organise it, and to everyone in the local community who came along, your efforts and generosity raised over £900.’

At the garden party, Peter Bull (volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager) was happy to receive a generous donation of £300 from the newly formed Harwich sea angling club, and said:

‘It is quite humbling when I get to receive donations like this on behalf of Harwich RNLI, as it shows that people care about what the volunteers do and the efforts they go to keeping our coastline safe.’

The Harwich Sailing Club will be hosting the fundraising team at 10am on 10 September when they restart their regular coffee mornings. Everyone is welcome to pop in for a cuppa, cake and a hearty chat.

For tips and advice on keeping safe this summer, visit rnli.org

RNLI media contacts

For more information, please contact:

Richard Wigley, RNLI Harwich volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 07903424698 or [email protected],

Clare Hopps, Regional Media Officer on 07824518641 or [email protected] or contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.

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 142,700 lives.

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Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.