North Berwick RNLI relaunch with successful station open day
After the COVID -19 Pandemic hit pause on fundraising events the volunteers of the North Berwick lifeboat crew and fundraisers this year elected for a scaled back Open Day taking part on Saturday 23rd July, instead of the usual Fete.
lifeboat crew and fundraisers this year elected for a scaled back Open Day taking part on Saturday 23rd July, instead of the usual Fete.
With the boathouse open there was a steady stream of visitors, with the younger supporters given the chance to dress up as a crew member and climb inside the lifeboat. Over the road there were the usual stalls selling sweet treats as well as giving supporters the opportunity to throw a throw line and “rescue” Stormy Stan, drive a remote-controlled Severn class lifeboat and two of the RNLI’s “Face2Face” fundraisers who were giving out lots of safety advice about how to stay safe on the beach.
Ricky Martin, Lifeboat Operations Manager said “Although the grey clouds threatened rain we had a great turn out, with locals and visitors alike showing their support of our lifesaving work. We’re still counting from the collection tins but with the takings from the shop we raised over £2000, which will go towards training up our new volunteers. We’d like to say a big thank you to all those who popped along to support us, the volunteers and our friends at RNLI Dunbar Lifeboats who brought their Trent class lifeboat along to say hello”.
The RNLI shop at the station had a record day in takings as supporters purchased everything from yellow wellies for their kids, to dog treats for their four-legged companions. The shop is also run by volunteers headed up by Jill Sim, who has overseen a transformation of the shop, recently being awarded an “Excellence in Volunteering” award from the RNLI. The shop now stocks more gifts and is open longer hours thanks to a host of new volunteers and Jill’s motivational drive.
Helm, Rhona Meikle said “The fundraisers do vital work for us, which last year helped us launch 26 times, rescuing 16 people and saving 2 lives. Without them, or the support of the public, we wouldn’t have the kit or the training to be able to carry out our lifesaving work.”
The crew have had a quieter year this year so far and are hoping that this means the RNLI's safety messages are getting through with many youngsters at the Open Day already knowing about the "Float to Live" campaign and how to keep themselves safe at the beach. For more information visit
rnli.org/safety.
RNLI media contacts
Rhona Meikle, Lifeboat Press Officer, 07767251023, [email protected]
Natasha Bennett, RNLI Regional Media Officer for Scotland, 07826 900639, [email protected]
Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Media Manager for Scotland, 07920 365929, [email protected]
RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789
RNLI online
For more information on the RNLI please visit rnli.org. News releases and other media resources, including RSS feeds, downloadable photos and video, are available at the RNLI News Centre rnli.org/news-and-media.
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 over 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 142,200 lives.
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.
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.