Bridlington RNLI send a big 'thank you' for maritime auction support
Bridlington RNLI volunteer crew have sent a message of thanks to all who supported the maritime and general auction at the station last Saturday (18 June), raising almost £5000.
Despite the bad forecast, the sun held out all day as hundreds of people attended the auction which was raising vital funds for the station and the volunteers at Bridlington RNLI.
People travelled from far and wide to attend the auction which was kindly hosted by auctioneer for the day Caroline Hawley who is not only an expert on Bargain Hunt but also from Hawley’s Auctioneers, Beverley.
Bridlington RNLI cannot thank Caroline enough for giving up her free time to support the volunteer crew in raising vital funds to keep the RNLI saving lives at sea.
The day started with a presentation from Frank and Jo Cook, two Bridlington Fundraising Volunteers who sponsored personalised navy-blue towels with crew numbers embroidered into them for each of the crew.
Shortly afterwards the Bridlington RNLI chair, Dave Garnett was presented with £300 from Clare Hoggart, whose mum Joan White sadly passed away in April 2022. Joan was formally a Bridlington resident working at Lloyds Hospital for many years. It was Joan’s wish that the money collected at her funeral be donated to Bridlington RNLI.
Amongst the many visitors on the day were the ‘Scarborough Garrison’ who looked spectacular dressed as Star Wars characters and a number of pirates who looked ready to cause a mutiny aboard the Bridlington RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat (ALB) Antony Patrick Jones and cast Coxswain Steve Emmerson into the sea. They were also visited by many of the Steampunk enthusiasts who were in the town on the same day, many who donated to the charity.
The auction was a huge success. One couple who travelled all the way from Boston, Lincolnshire had 52 successful bids including a splendid model of a Liverpool class lifeboat which turned out to be the highest single lot sold on the day.
The volunteer crew had been called into service at 10pm the night before and only returned from sea at 6:30am on the morning of the auction. The same volunteers were in attendance throughout the auction so it was a very busy 24 hours for everyone down at the station. The total raised on the day, which included collections, gifts, brochure sales, auction and refreshments was a staggering £4,806.17.
Bridlington RNLI’s Water Safety Officer said: ‘Auctions are harder to pull together than they look, but the hard work was worth it. We are so grateful for the friends of the station that donated so many interesting lots to auction and the lovely bidders who did us proud’
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.