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Gravesend RNLI celebrates 177 years of the riverside Gravesend Regatta

Lifeboats News Release

The local RNLI water safety, fundraising, and face-to-face teams were all present at the local regatta and fair, one of the oldest in the UK, with the lifeboat crew on duty also making an appearance.

RNLI Gravesend

The Gravesend RNLI Station Lifeboat crew members (Chris, Sid and Liam, from left to right) and lifeboat Olive Laura Deare II at Gravesend Riverside for the 177th Gravesend Regatta.

The chair of the Gravesend RNLI Lifeboat Fundraising Group, Adrian Soper, said, ‘As a charity, we rely on volunteers and voluntary donations to power our lifesaving work. If you would like to help raise money for the RNLI, let us know. Get in touch with Gravesend Lifeboat station, visit RNLI.org/fundraising, or join the ‘Gravesend RNLI Lifeboat Fundraising’ group on Facebook.’

‘However you choose to raise money for us, we’d love to support you. It could be anything from an organised fundraising event, a challenge, or putting us in touch with a group or company that could support us.’

The Gravesend RNLI fundraising team were joined by the Thurrock and District branch at the first day of the riverside regatta event on Saturday June 24.

The water safety team put on throwline demonstrations and spot-the-hazards games for people to interact with between the regatta boat races, and they engaged with approximately 400 people through the course of the day.

The crew on duty for the day also travelled the approximately 150m from the Royal Terrace Pier to Gravesend Riverside on lifeboat Olive Laura Deare II, to help promote the RNLI’s activities in the local area.

RNLI Media Contacts

For further information, please contact:

Helena Lane, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for Gravesend RNLI on 01474 328 465 or email [email protected]

Paul Dunt, Regional Media Officer (London and South East), on 02076 207 425 or 07785 296 252, or email [email protected]

Julie Rainey, Regional Media Manager (South East), on 07827 358 256 or email [email protected]

RNLI Press Office on 01202 336 789 or email [email protected]

RNLI Gravesend

The water safety and fundraising team put on throwline demonstrations, showing people how they would be used in an emergency.

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.