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Fundraising celebration weekend for Lyme Regis RNLI

Lifeboats News Release

There were celebrations at Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat station this weekend as star volunteer bucket collector Joshua Denning received ITV News West Country’s Pride of Britain Fundraiser of the Year award, as well as visits from the RNLI-911 Challenge team and local chef and food writer Gill Meller.

Award winner with lifeboat crew

RNLI/Nick Marks

Pride of Britain Fundraiser of the Year Joshua Denning with Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat crew

Josh Denning (20) has been a stalwart supporter of the RNLI and other local charities since he was a child, and every year tops the list of volunteer collectors through his expert use of the collection bucket. His efforts have now been rewarded when he was presented with the ITV News West Country’s Pride of Britain Fundraiser of the Year award. This was filmed at a surprise event at the lifeboat station attended by family, friends and representatives of the many organisations Josh supports. It is estimated that Josh has personally collected over £50,000 for the RNLI and other charities. ITV West Country News covered Josh being presented with his award on its Friday (20 September) evening bulletin.

On Saturday morning (21 September) volunteer RNLI crew welcomed the RNLI-911 Challenge team onto the lifeboat slipway. James and Belinda Richardson are driving their Porsche 911 for 8500 miles around the UK and Ireland to visit all 238 lifeboat stations and raise much needed funds for the RNLI charity. This is the latest of a number of challenges the couple have completed as they bid to raise £110,000, the cost of a new D Class inshore lifeboat.

At lunchtime on Saturday local chef and food writer Gill Meller set up a barbecue outside the lifeboat station to cook and sell delicious fresh fish burgers in aid of the RNLI. Gill was raising awareness of local produce and how good it tastes when cooked naturally in the open air. He has generously donated all the proceeds from this event to the charity which saves lives at sea.

Summing up this weekend’s fundraising highlights Lyme Regis and Charmouth RNLI Supporters Group chair Ken Lavery said: ‘We are delighted and proud that our star collector Josh Denning has received such a prestigious award. He really deserves it for the hard work he has done for the RNLI and for other charities.’

‘As fundraisers we are always looking for ways of raising the funds the RNLI needs to continue it lifesaving work 24/7 and 365 days a year. To that end we are also delighted Gill Meller supported us by selling his excellent fresh fish burgers and that James and Belinda Richardson were able to stop off at Lyme Regis RNLI on their tour visiting all the RNLI’s 238 lifeboat stations in this its 200th anniversary year.’

Ends

Notes to editors

Phot 1. Caption: Josh Denning with Lyme Regis RNLI crew

Phot 2. Caption: Porsche 911 Challenge team with Lyme Regis RNLI crew

Phot 3. Caption: Gill Meller cooks fresh Lyme Bay mackerel outside the lifeboat station

Phot 4. Caption: Gill’s mackerel burgers proved very popular.

Photo credits: RNLI/Nick Marks

RNLI media contacts

For more information, please contact Nick Marks, volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer at Lyme Regis Lifeboat Station on 07568 187582 or [email protected], or Emma Haines, Regional Communications Manager, on 07786 668847 or [email protected], or contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.

car on slipway with crew

RNLI/Nick Marks

RNLI-911 Challenge visits Lyme Regis
Chef cooking fish

RNLI/Nick Marks

Gill Meller cooking mackerel outside Lyme Regis lifeboat staion
Queue of people outside Lyme Regis lifeboat station

RNLI/Nick Marks

Gill's fish burgers proved very popular

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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