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Shanty group raise nearly £3k for RNLI

Lifeboats News Release

The Press Gangers shanty band from Presteigne in Powys, have been raising money for the RNLI throughout the lifesaving charity’s 200th anniversary year with a calendar of gigs across Wales and beyond.

Press Gangers members stood in front of Aberdyfi Lifeboat Station with smiles and their fists in the air, alongside RNLI volunteer crew.

Press Gangers

The shanty band is made up of 8 gentlemen based in the mid-Wales town of Presteigne. Peter Wright, Simon Lee, Terry Wells, John Weeks, David Williams, Bill Robinson, Richard Beasley and David Thompson all get together to sing and play shanties. This year the group have been putting on concerts to raise funds for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Wales Air Ambulance.

The group love getting together to sing shanty music and have been doing so for more than two years. Their recent gigs have been at various local venues, but they also played in Birmingham NEC earlier this year.

Last month, crowds packed into Radnor Community Hall to watch the Press Gangers and the Pop Choir from Presteigne. This evening alone raised £320 for the RNLI. So far, the Press Gangers have raised a total of £2910 for the RNLI, and they have their final gig of the year at Lyonshall Village Hall next Friday 13 December.

Simon Lee, member of the Press Gangers said:

‘We’re so pleased to have raised so much money for the RNLI, doing something that we love. Our concerts have been a real success, it’s been great to see so many people coming to support us and donating to saving lives at sea.

‘Through our support for the charity and fundraising events, we’ve meet some of the local RNLI volunteers who dedicate so much to the lifeboats. They always give us a really warm welcome.

‘Our group are looking forward to putting on more concerts in aid of the RNLI next year.’

RNLI Community Manager Emma Macdonald said:

‘We’re incredibly grateful to the Press Gangers for choosing to raise funds for us and be a part of this historic year as we celebrate our 200th anniversary. But the band have been a fantastic support and ambassadors for the RNLI, even before 2024 and we see them as part of our one crew family.

‘We rely on donations to power our lifesaving mission, so without the generosity and enthusiasm of people like the Press Gangers we couldn’t carry on saving lives at sea. A huge thank you to them for their efforts and to everyone who’s attended a gig and donated.’


Notes to editors:

  • Photo credit: Press Gangers

Media Contacts

For more information please contact Claire Fitzpatrick-Smith, Regional Communications Manager on 07977 728 315 / c[email protected].

Alternatively, you can contact the RNLI press office on 01202 336789 / [email protected].

Press Gangers on stage in a church performing with fairy lights in the background.

Press Gangers

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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