Saving lives at sea in Huddersfield with the RNLI

Andy Ingham, Branch Vice-Chairman, explained: ‘There’s a saying in the RNLI that you don’t have to get your feet wet to save lives at sea. This is certainly the case for our branch; we might be miles from the coast, but we’ve been raising vital lifesaving funds for the charity for over 90 years.

‘We recently marked the 40^th anniversary of one of our proudest fundraising achievements in providing an inshore lifeboat to Newbiggin RNLI lifeboat station in Northumberland. This followed a successful campaign that was supported by the Mayor of Kirklees and the whole community.

‘The lifeboat was named Kirklees and during its service at the station it launched 112 times and saved 75 lives.’

In a typical year, the small but dedicated team could have a calendar of events which includes activities such as boat and tractor pulls, Gala concerts, agricultural shows, coffee mornings and talks to local community and school groups.

Andy added: ‘We’d love to hear from anyone who would like to join our team and help us to continue to be able to save lives at sea.

‘It’s a great opportunity to put your skills to good use, gain some valuable voluntary experience and have fun and meet new people, regardless of how much or how little time you have to spare.’

To find out more, please contact Andy Ingham on: 07884944118 or Maurice Littlewood on: 07795204958. Or visit: https://honleyandbrockholesrnli.co.uk/

RNLI Picture captions

1. Honley and Brockholes RNLI Branch Vice President and Treasurer at an instore collection: Credit: Andy Ingham.
2. Kirklees lifeboat naming ceremony in Newbiggin. Credit: Heritage RNLI.

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For more information please contact Clare Hopps, RNLI Regional Media Officer (North East and East) : [email protected] Tel: 07824 518641.

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.

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