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Charity cyclists whose bikes were stolen still raised £1800 for Hunstanton RNLI

Lifeboats News Release

Four friends pressed on with a marathon sponsored cycle ride for the charity that saves lives at sea - despite being targeted by some less than charitable thieves along the way.

RNLI/Chris Bishop

Malcolm and Jan Craven, along with Julie Wright and Andy Brown present a cheque to crew members at Hunstanton RNLI and their grand-sons (front, from left) Charlie, Henry and George
And on Sunday 1 September, they rode down the lane to Hunstanton lifeboat station with the proceeds.

Malcolm and Jan Craven wanted to support the work of Hunstanton RNLI, where their son Andrew, daughter-in-law Kate and sister-in-law Joy are all among the the volunteers.

They set off From Felixstowe in Suffolk, with fellow cyclist Julie Wright and support driver Andy Brown on Friday 3 May, planning to ride the 315 miles along an ancient Hanseatic trading route to Beverley in East Yorkshire.

But after making an overnight stop at a hotel near Lowestoft on the first night of their journey, they woke the following morning to find Malcolm and Jan's bikes, which were worth thousands, had been stolen.

The Cravens lost a day returning home to Lincolnshire to collect replacement bikes before continuing on their way, completing their ride in seven days.

On Sunday, they returned to Hunstanton lifeboat station with Julie and Andrew and a cheque for £1,840.

Malcolm said the four were determined to press on for the RNLI, despite the setback.

'We've lived in the area all our lives, on and around The Wash,' he said.

'They do so much, it's a big part of part of the community in Hunstanton, it's something really important.'

They were met by crew members including their son Andrew, who is a member of both lifeboat and hovercraft crews, while his wife Kate is the station's water safety officer and also leads its visits team.

Kate's mum Joy Roberts also volunteers at the station's souvenir shop, while the Cravens' grand-sons Charlie, Henry and George also hope to one day join the crew.

Notes to editors

Hunstanton is one of Norfolk's busiest lifeboat stations, operating both the inshore lifeboat Spirit of West Norfolk and search and rescue hovercraft Hunstanton Flyer.

It covers The Wash, a tidal estuary fed by five main rivers of more than 100 square miles, along with parts of the north Norfolk coastline.

Like more than 200 RNLI stations around the coast of the UK and Ireland, its lifesaving work could not be possible without the kindness of those who give donations or leave legacies to the charity that saves lives at sea.

This year marks the 200th anniversary of both the RNLI and the founding of a lifeboat service at Hunstanton.

RNLI media contacts

For more information call Chris Bishop, Hunstanton RNLI volunteer Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer on 07584 147219, Clare Hopps, RNLI Regional Communications Manager, North and East on 07824 518641, or the RNLI Press Office 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 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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