Generous Brentford fans give £2,000 at match day collection for Chiswick RNLI
In the 90 minutes before kick off Chiswick RNLI crew and fundraisers received £1,955 in buckets and on card readers. Three quarters of the proceeds was in cash, showing that cash is not yet dead.
Chiswick RNLI fundraisers resumed their partnership with Brentford Football Club in February after 2 years of pandemic shut-down. The last collection in March 2020 was at the final match at the Bees’ old stadium, Griffin Park. Promoted to the Premier League last year, Brentford now play in their shiny new community stadium within hailing distance of the river. Many fans congregate before the match at the nearby riverside pubs, where Chiswick lifeboat crew regularly exercise.
The club generously gave pitch-side tickets to the collectors who enjoyed a thrilling match against Crystal Palace.
Chiswick RNLI fundraiser, Jane Foster Smith said “All the collectors had a great time and exchanged lots of cheerful banter with the fans. We enjoyed being right next to the action on the pitch during the match and along with 17,000 fans seeing RNLI images and water safety messages on the big screen at half time.”
Chiswick RNLI lifeboat station is the second busiest in the UK and Ireland. Since The RNLI search and rescue service on the Thames started in 2002, Chiswick Lifeboat has attended over 3,500 incidents and rescued over 1,750 people. The RNLI is entirely funded by public donations.
RNLI media contacts
- David Clarke RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer (Chiswick), 07951 210500 [email protected]
- For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 33678
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
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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.