Redcar RNLI Chairman finally gets to visit the Palace
Redcar RNLI chairman, Dave Cocks, was amongst the guests attending a garden party hosted by the Royal Family at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday 25 May 2022.
Dave, pictured on the right, was one of four RNLI volunteers from around the country to attend the event, the last royal garden party to be held before Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's platinum jubilee celebrations begin next week.
Dave said: 'I actually received the invitation early in 2020, but of course the Covid pandemic put a stop to such things. I was disappointed and never actually thought I'd get a second chance to go, but earlier this year I was contacted to tell me I'd be attending this year.'
Dave, who's been a volunteer with the charity of 44 years, has served in a number of roles since he joined the lifeboat crew in 1978 and retired from the position as Lifeboat Operations Manager at the end of 2019 before being appointed chairman.
Talking about the event, Dave said: 'When the RNLI representatives arrived on the lawn at the rear of Buckingham Palace we were told we had been chosen to be presented to His Royal Highness, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.
'It was a great honour to have been chosen. He took time to talk to each of us and was very interested in what we did as volunteers and how long we'd been involved with the RNLI.'
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth is Patron of the RNLI, and the Duke of Kent has been the charity's President since 1969.
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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.
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