Margate RNLI celebrates International Women’s Day

Women have been part of the make-up of the lifeboat community nationally since the charity was founded. As an example from previous years, the Margate Ladies Lifeboat Guild was a stalwart group of women raising funds for the station’s lifesaving work. And of course the unseen heroes have long been the women family members who support their partners on our crew and await their return when the pagers sound the call to duty.

Women are now also very much part of the operational crew at Margate, a role that was historically a male preserve. At Margate we have four volunteer women crew members depicted in the accompanying photo. From left to right: Lucy Malin is an orthopaedic surgeon at QEQM Hospital Margate and a member of the B class and D class lifeboat crew. Next to Lucy and also a seagoing crew member on both lifeboats is Casey Buckenham who is a childcare assistant in her day job. Next is retail industry worker Alicia Williams, one of the all-important shore crew and part of the team without who the lifeboats go nowhere! Finally, Linda Cox is a B class crew member and currently on a B class helm development plan and a paramedic practitioner in her day job.

Among the women who actively support the seagoing crew, also photographed here are: Sarah Hewes, Thanet RNLI Fundraising Group Lead along with Christine Patrick and Kath Medway who manage the souvenir shop at the boathouse and Anne-Marie Orchard one of the retail team.

Derek Amas, Lifeboat Operations Manager, Margate RNLI said: “Women have been a part of the station’s fabric for generations including those who support their husbands, partners, sons, daughters and other family members who crew our lifeboats. We welcome their involvement and thank these women together with the backstage team for their time and commitment to the cause of saving lives at sea.”

Photos:

(1) Seagoing and shorecrew women members RNLI Margate (RNLI Margate).

(2) Sarah Hewes, RNLI Thanet Fundraising Branch Lead (RNLI Margate)

(3) Christine Patrick and Kath Medway, souvenir shop managers (RNLI Margate)

(4) Anne-Marie Orchard, retail team member (RNLI Margate)

Notes to editors

· Margate lifeboat station has been operating since 1860. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/margate-lifeboat-station

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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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