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Bowling League raises funds for Whitstable RNLI

Lifeboats News Release

Funds at Whitstable RNLI have been swelled by £928 thanks to the efforts of a local Ten Pin Bowling League as part of their weekly matches at the MFA Bowl in Tower Parade and on Sunday 92-year old Philip Smith represented the Wednesday Trio’s Bowling League at a cheque presentation at the boathouse.

Philip Smith, 92, accompanied by his family presents the cheque for £928 on behalf of the Wednesday Trio's Bowling League to crew and volunteers at Whitstable RNLI on Sunday.

RNLI Whitstable /Chris Davey

Philip Smith, 92, accompanied by his family presents the cheque for £928 on behalf of the Wednesday Trio's Bowling League to crew and volunteers at Whitstable RNLI on Sunday.
Philip who bowled for over 30-years explained “Our league met until the start of the pandemic and one of our members was Margaret Foreman who along with members of her family had been involved with the RNLI. I know Margaret well and the league just got ‘roped’ in to support the lifeboat”.

“Our league which sadly has now split up since the pandemic had around 30 members and we ran within our matches a scheme whereby if any bowler had a strike but left 5-pins still standing then they had to pay a levy of .05p towards the charity and, amazingly over time we raised the cash, amazingly that amounted to around 18,570 five pence’s”.

On Sunday Philip accompanied by members of his family braved the rather chilly April morning to present the cheque on behalf of the league to Jo and Pete Fenton joint Chair’s of the fund-raising branch of Whitstable RNLI and members of the crew and station.

Jo Fenton said “We thank Philip and the Wednesday Trio’s for there efforts in raising such an incredible amount from just collecting five pence’s and the funds will go towards the costs of keeping the lifeboat operational in it’s continuing role of ‘saving lives at sea’.

After the presentation Philip was also thanked for the donation from the league by Helmsman Ben Crosswell and was able to watch the lifeboat launch on it's Sunday morning exercise.

Whitstable lifeboat and her volunteer crews launch to an average of around 45-50 calls per year.


Notes to editors

Whitstable RNLI Lifeboat Station was established in 1963 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and is one of 237 lifeboat stations around the shores of the UK and Ireland. The volunteer crews provide a maritime search and rescue service for the Kent coast. They cover the area between the Kingsferry Bridge on the Swale, in the west, around the south-eastern side of Sheppey and along the coast through Whitstable and Herne Bay to Reculver in the east and outwards into the Thames Estuary.

The station is equipped with an Atlantic 85 lifeboat named Lewisco, purchased through a bequest of a Miss Lewis of London who passed away in 2006.

She is what is known as a rigid inflatable inshore lifeboat, the boat’s rigid hull being topped by an inflatable sponson. She carries a crew of four people.

RNLI media contacts

  • Chris Davey, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer, Whitstable Lifeboat Station.
    07741 012004/ [email protected]

  • Paul Dunt RNLI Press Officer London/southeast/east Tel: 0207 6207416 Mob: (07785) 296252 [email protected]

  • For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789


Philip Smith, 92, presents the cheque for £928 on behalf of the Wednesday Trio's Bowling League to Pete Fenton at Whitstable RNLI on Sunday.

RNLI Whitstable/Chris Davey

Philip Smith, 92, presents the cheque for £928 on behalf of the Wednesday Trio's Bowling League to Pete Fenton at Whitstable RNLI on Sunday.

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, 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.

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