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Hoylake and West Kirby RNLI invite community to step aboard their lifeboats

Lifeboats News Release

Hoylake and West Kirby RNLI are inviting the public to step aboard their lifeboats and meet the volunteer crews as the lifesaving charity celebrates its 200th anniversary.

Hoylake RNLI

Visitors are invited to step aboard the Hoylake and West Kirby RNLI lifeboats at their Meet and Greet Day on 13 July

The Wirral lifeboat stations’ annual Meet & Greet Day takes place on Saturday 13 July from 10.00am until 4.00pm at Hoylake Lifeboat Station on North Parade. Visitors will have the chance to see up close Hoylake RNLI’s all-weather Shannon class lifeboat and hovercraft and West Kirby RNLI’s inshore IB1 lifeboat.

The stations’ launch and recovery vehicles will also be on display, including Hoylake’s Shannon Launch and Recovery System (SLARS) and West Kirby’s Hagglund BV206 launch vehicle - the only vehicle of its type based on station in the RNLI.

The two lifeboat stations’ volunteer crews will be showcasing how they work together with their specialist rescue equipment to save lives at sea and around the region’s coast. The Wirral Coastguard Rescue Team and the local British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) will also be displaying the kit they use to save people and marine mammals.

A fantastic range of RNLI gifts and souvenirs will be on sale, including the RNLI’s ever-popular Christmas cards and calendars. Refreshments including teas, coffees and sweet treats will also be available to purchase in the boathouse.

With public parking limited on North Parade, visitors are encouraged to walk, cycle or use public transport where possible.

Hoylake RNLI Coxswain Howie Owen said: ‘We’re so grateful to our incredible community for supporting their local lifeboat crews, who are always on call 24/7. Hoylake and West Kirby RNLI’s Meet & Greet Day is always a fantastic opportunity for our supporters to see the lifesaving boats and kit that their donations help to fund.’

Howie added: ‘We’re especially thrilled to be opening up our doors in the RNLI’s 200th anniversary year as we commemorate our history, celebrate the bravery and commitment of our current volunteers, and hope to inspire future generations to join and support our maritime search and rescue service.’

In 2023, RNLI lifeboats in the UK and Ireland launched 9,192 times, helping 10,734 people and saving 269 lives. But as a charity, the RNLI relies on voluntary donations to power its lifesaving work, which last year cost a total of £191.2 million.

Last year’s Meet & Greet Day raised over £4,400 to fund the lifesaving work of the RNLI. Anyone wishing to donate online directly to support the lifeboat stations can visit https://fundraise.rnli.org/fundraisers/Hoylake

Notes to editors

Hoylake Lifeboat Station was founded in 1803 and is one of the oldest lifeboat stations in the UK. It operates the Shannon class all-weather lifeboat Edmund Hawthorn Micklewood and Inshore Rescue Hovercraft Hurley Spirit.

West Kirby Lifeboat station was founded in 1966 and operates the inshore IB1 lifeboat Leonard Pownall. It is the only lifeboat station in the RNLI to operate the Hagglund BV206 all-terrain launch vehicle.

RNLI media contacts

For more information, please contact:

Dan Whiteley, Hoylake RNLI Lifeboat Press Officer on 07799 851 316 or email [email protected]

Claire Devine, Hoylake RNLI Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer 07734 817 068 or email [email protected]

RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789

RNLI/Siân Holmes

West Kirby RNLI will be displaying their D class IB1 lifeboat ‘Leonard Pownall’

RNLI/Siân Holmes

The Wirral Coastguard Rescue Team and BDMLR will also be displaying their search and rescue equipment

RNLI/Siân Holmes

Last year’s Meet & Greet Day raised £4,483.33 for the RNLI

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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