Donate now

Hold the turkey and trimmings for dad and daughter at Staithes and Runswick RNLI

Lifeboats News Release

Lee and Eleanor Jackson from Staithes and Runswick RNLI may have to put the turkey and trimmings on hold this year. They’ll both be on-call together this Christmas and know that the call to save lives at sea could come at any time.

Lee Jackson

Lee and Eleanor Jackson will be ready to respond to their RNLI pagers this Christmas

This Christmas many of the charity’s volunteers, including those at Staithes and Runswick, may have to leave their loved ones behind to answer the call, each time hoping to reunite another family and see those in trouble at sea safely returned. Over the past decade, RNLI lifeboats have launched over 1,200 times during the festive period.

In the past five years in the North and East specifically, RNLI lifeboats have launched over 80 times and aided 36 people during the festive season.

Lee Jackson, Helm at Staithes and Runswick RNLI and a ship’s pilot for the river Tees and Hartlepool has volunteered for over 30 years at the lifeboat station. His daughter Eleanor is a Police Community Support Officer with North Yorkshire Police and joined the lifeboat station last June.

Lee explained: ‘I’m immensely proud of Eleanor, as I am of all the volunteers at Staithes and Runswick RNLI. Eleanor and I get to spend time together doing something that we both enjoy which is rewarding at the same time. For Eleanor to be part of the lifeboat crew ‘family’ with me is great. On the lifeboat is about the only time she does what I ask her to do!

‘This year we’ll both be working shifts in our day jobs over the festive season. We’re having our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve to suit our shifts. If the pagers go off though, we’ll put the turkey on hold and will be tripping over each other to get out of the door. The volunteer crew at Staithes are used to being on call day and night, no matter what the weather and Christmas is no exception.’

Lee added: ‘There’s no feeling quite like bringing someone home safe to their families – especially at Christmas. Our team couldn’t rescue people without kind donations from the public which fund their kit, training, and equipment that they need to save others and get home safely to their families.’

The RNLI launched its Christmas appeal this week with the charity asking for help to continue its lifesaving work at sea.

To make a donation to the RNLI’s Christmas Appeal, or to find out more, please visit: RNLI.org/Xmas

RNLI Picture caption

The photograph shows Lee and Eleanor Jackson, who’ll be ready to respond if their pagers go off this Christmas. Photo credit: Lee Jackson.

RNLI media contacts

For more information, please contact Clare Hopps, RNLI Regional Media Officer, North and East on: 07824 518641 or email: [email protected]

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, Twitter 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.