Burnham-on-Sea RNLI volunteers welcome a visit from the RNLI200-911 challenge

Belinda and husband James are a young (at heart) recently retired couple from London, and are huge fans of the RNLI since owning a RIB on the Thames over 20 years ago.

Although not connected to the RNLI they are humbled by the unique organization's 6,500 volunteers; be they boat crews, shore crew, lifeguards or fundraisers and wished to put their 'new found freedom' to good use in supporting them by raising funds for a 'relief' 'D' Class Lifeboat.

They had set themselves the challenge of driving clockwise around the whole of the BRITISH ISLES & IRELAND including Shetland, Orkney, Outer & Inner Hebrides, Isle of Man, Isles of Scilly, Isle of Wight, Alderney, Guernsey and Jersey, visiting ALL 238 RNLI Lifeboat Stations IN 911 HOURS!!! They also got to drive to some of the most beautiful and diverse coastline around the UK and Ireland in their Challenge car, Porsche 911, named 'SPLASH’.

The start was RNLI Morecambe Lifeboat Station at 9.11 am on 23 August with an anticipated finish at RNLI Peel (Isle of Man) Lifeboat Station on 30 September at 9.11 am.

Belinda arrived at Burnham-on-Sea lifeboat station, 7.30 pm, on Monday 23 September, with James still on a ferry and in transit. Whilst there, she chatted to RNLI volunteers and presented a sponsored gift to Burnham Lifeboat Operations Manager, Matt Davies.

Belinda quotes; ‘I suppose our Challenge comes down to one thing: Whilst the RNLI station locations are fabulous, the stations impressive and the boats are magnificent it is all about the people: the people who are the RNLI volunteers and the people whose lives are saved by them - extraordinary people facing extraordinary challenges in extraordinary circumstances. Ask not what the RNLI can do for you but what you can do for the RNLI and donate today!’

Matt Davies accepted the gift and wished her luck in completion of the challenge. She left the station, en route to Weston-Super-Mare with an early morning appointment at the lifeboat station, followed up by a visit to `Portishead.

Notes for Editors

RNLI media contacts

For more information please contact Mike Lang, volunteer lifeboat press officer at Burnham-on-Sea Lifeboat Station on 07889 815860 or Emma Haines, Regional Communications Manager, on 07786 668847 or [email protected] or contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.

More information is on website: https://rnli-911challenge.co.uk

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.