Burnham-on-Sea RNLI fund-raiser sets her sights high

She started volunteering at the Burnham-on-Sea RNLI shop in 2019 after being recommended by friend Tina (Who is a member of the Burnham-on-Sea shore crew), and being bored after having to give up work due to MS.

Sarah said; ‘I thoroughly enjoy my time working in the shop and love all the people I work with. I have always wanted to do a parachute jump and have been given the OK by my doctors (so I'm doing it before they change their minds!)’.

RNLI shop manager Maureen Philp adds; ‘If any of our lovely customers would like to sponsor Sarah please just pop into our High Street shop (open 10-4pm every day) Thank you all.’

If you wish to donate, the web address of the page is:- https://www.gofundme.com/f/sarahs-skydive-for-bos-rnli

ENDS

Notes for editors

­, Sarah may be contacted via the Burnham-on-Sea lifeboat shop on 01278 788796.

Text from the Go Fund Me page: My Mum, Sarah Hand, is doing a Skydive on October 4th 2023 to raise funds for the Burnham-On-Sea branch of the RNLI.

In 2006, Sarah was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, this immediately limited her functions and has been steadily declining over the last 17 years. Despite daily tasks being a struggle, she never let her disability consume her and worked in schools over the years until 2019 when she sadly had to make the difficult decision to give up work as she no longer had the mobility to fulfil her job at the standards she held herself to.

It was at this point that she insisted that she was not completely useless and therefore could volunteer somewhere. The RNLI has always been a charity that we have all felt strongly about and anyone local to Burnham-On-Sea must agree that the work they do is vital.

She began volunteering in the RNLI shop in 2019 and has since become very passionate about doing everything she can to raise money. This now includes a skydive from 16,000 feet.

Sarah has always aspired to do a skydive and has fought for years to get the go ahead from her doctors and has, this year, finally been given the green light. Of course, she has decided that it should not just be for fun but is a fantastic opportunity to raise some money for our brilliant team at the RNLI.

We understand that money is tight for everyone at the moment and we really appreciate any and all donations. These people are life savers and do so completely

voluntarily - they deserve far more than we could ever give them but we’d love to give them a helping hand.

Thank you for reading

The Hand Family

Photographs with this release:

File name: Sarah_hand1. Sarah Hand in the lifeboat shop (RNLI Shop)

File name: Sarah_hand2 Sarah Hand at the annual rescue services day on Burnham’s South Esplanade (RNLI/Mike Lang)

RNLI Lifeboats at Burnham-on-Sea

A 8.5m Atlantic 85 named Doris Day and Brian plus a smaller 4.95m D class IB1 inflatable named Burnham Reach The station was opened officially on 15th May 2004, but has been operational since December 2003

RNLI media contacts

For more information about this release please telephone Mike Lang, RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 07889 815860 or email [email protected],

In the absence of the above, contact Emma Haines Regional Media Officer [email protected] Mob: 07866 064437

Alternatively, telephone Amy Caldwell RNLI Public Relations Manager (South) Tel: 07920 818 807, [email protected].

As a last resort, contact RNLI Public Relations on 01202 336789

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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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.