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Porsche 911 challenge stops by Swanage as couple visit all 238 RNLI stations

Lifeboats News Release

A married couple in a Porsche 911 attempting to visit around the coast of the UK and Ireland visiting all Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat stations met volunteers from Swanage Lifeboat Station as they continue their journey.

Porsche 911 at Swanage Lifeboat Station

RNLI/Becky Mack

Porsche 911 at Swanage Lifeboat Station

Belinda and James Richardson, from London, are travelling 8,500 miles in their Porsche 911, hoping to visit all 238 lifeboat stations in 911 hours. After starting in Morecambe on Friday 23 August, the pair visited Swanage Lifeboat Station on Tuesday.

The Swanage leg of their lengthy journey was sponsored by The Priory in Wareham. Belinda and James had previously visited the hotel and when discussing their RNLI challenge with Martin Coward, part of the garden team at the hotel who also used to volunteer for Kimmeridge Coastguard, found that the former owner of the hotel, the late Anne Turner, had been a great supporter of the RNLI.

Anne Turner had a long established connection with the charity carrying out a lot of fundraising for the RNLI. This connection sowed a seed of interest and as a result the hotel where Anne Turner’s daughter and granddaughter are still involved generously decided to sponsor the event in her memory.

Martin Coward attended Swanage Lifeboat Station on the day to meet Belinda and James again, along with some others who have been tracking Belinda and James' journey around the country in their Porsche 911.

When Belinda and James arrived, they presented a specially commissioned puzzle and some lifeboat 'Top Trump' cards to the crew which have already come into use during one of our late night lifeboat callouts whilst the shore crew were awaiting the return of the lifeboat.

Jayne George, RNLI Director of Fundraising, said: ‘We are so grateful to Belinda and James for taking on this huge challenge and look forward to welcoming them at all of our lifeboat stations around the coast.

‘We are only able to save lives at sea thanks to the generous support of people taking on challenges like this, and we’re honoured Belinda and James have decided to raise even more money to fund a new D class inshore lifeboat.

‘In 2023 alone, D class lifeboats saved 96 lives and helped 2,028 people in difficulty. Belinda and James’ 911 challenge will help continue that lifesaving legacy.’

Fundraising towards a brand new inshore lifeboat is well underway and to donate to their challenge, please visit https://rnli-911challenge.co.uk/

RNLI media contacts

For more information please telephone Ben Williets, RNLI Press Officer on 01202 641450 or [email protected]. Alternatively, contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789 or [email protected].

Porsche 911 at Swanage Lifeboat Station

Martin Coward

Porsche 911 at Swanage Lifeboat Station
Porsche 911 at Swanage Lifeboat Station

RNLI/Becky Mack

Porsche 911 at Swanage Lifeboat Station
Lifeboat Opertations Manager Rob Pullman and Martin Coward from The Priory accepting the bespoke puzzle from Belinda and James

RNLI 911

Lifeboat Opertations Manager Rob Pullman and Martin Coward from The Priory accepting the bespoke puzzle from Belinda and James

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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