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Walking Marathon raises over £9,000 for Teddington Lifeboat Station

Lifeboats News Release

On Saturday 22 April a group of forty four teachers and parents from Twickenham Preparatory School walked a full or a half marathon to raise money for Teddington RNLI Lifeboat Station, reaching a total of over £9,000 to date.

RNLI crew members and Walkers gather around lifeboat

RNLI/Paul Roach

Members of Teddington RNLI meet Twickenham Preparatory School Marathon Walkers

On the eve of the London Marathon, part of the group began their 26 mile trek at Tower Bridge to walk along the Thames to Teddington. In doing so, they passed three of the four RNLI lifeboat stations along the river (Tower, Chiswick and Teddington), some of the busiest in the country. Their efforts had raised £6,800 by the time they reached their destination at Teddington’s boat shed for a welcome cup of tea and slice of cake.

Headmaster, Oliver Barrett said, 'I am so proud of this group and of the efforts that they have made for Teddington RNLI Lifeboat station. The station has a particular connection with the school as we often welcome members of the water safety team to speak to our pupils. The RNLI is an important charity and does great work on the busiest river in the country.'

Susy Avetoom, teaching assistant, underlined the importance of water safety messages to 'children the same age as our pupils, especially in the run up to summer when so many are tempted to swim and play in and around the river. Teddington RNLI is so important in helping them understand the dangers.'

Caroline Churchman, business manager added, 'We wanted to fund raise for a charity that meant something to our school with an activity that our whole staff community could participate in and enjoy. This walk has been a very positive experience for staff and a great way to thank Teddington RNLI for their fantastic work.'

Jon Chapman, helm at Teddington RNLI, said, 'What an amazing effort by the Twickenham Prep staff and parents! We simply couldn’t do what we do without the wonderful support of our community, and all the money raised by this walk will help our life-saving mission.'

Notes to editors

· Teddington RNLI Lifeboat Stations one of four on the Thames and has a total team of around 45 volunteers, including fundraisers, education and water safety teams.

· Like all RNLI stations, it is funded wholly by donations and receives no government support

· The station’s crew saved four lives in 2022, having been called out 106 times.

· If you are interested in volunteering with the RNLI, visit https://rnli.org/support-us/volunteer/how-you-can-volunteer

RNLI media contacts

For more information please telephone Gianna Saccomani, RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 07798905515 or [email protected], Grace Palmieri, RNLI Deputy Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 07855 487508 or [email protected] or Paul Dunt, Regional Media Officer on 07785 296252 [email protected] or contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.

Headmaster of Twickenham Preparatory School, Oliver Barrett alongside Teddington RNLI lifeboat

RNLI/Paul Roach

Headmaster of Twickenham Preparatory School, Oliver Barrett
Headmaster of Twickenham Preparatory School, Oliver Barrett alongside Teddington RNLI lifeboat

RNLI/Paul Roach

Headmaster of Twickenham Preparatory School, Oliver Barrett

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.

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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.