New lifeboat for Walmer RNLI
On Monday afternoon, 31 March, Walmer RNLI volunteers welcomed the arrival of their new Atlantic 85 lifeboat Hounslow Branch.
The boat will replace the previous B Class lifeboat Donald McLauchlan which had served on station at Walmer since 2006. After its arrival, it launched on 289 occasions, saving 51 lives and assisting 1,926 others
The new lifeboat was built at the Indoor Lifeboat Centre (ILC) at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight. It was funded through the legacy of Miss Lorna Grace Newman. Lorna’s late parents, John Alfred Newman and Grace Florence Newman, were the founder members of the Hounslow Branch of the RNLI and as a family they spent many hours raising money and working to increase the public’s awareness of the voluntary funded RNLI.
Lorna could often be seen walking in Cranford in her bright yellow raincoat with her rucksack on her back, her walking stick in one hand and her trusted companion Bonzo, on his lead in the other hand. She attended Gumley House School, worked in hospitals all her working life and took a great deal of interest in her allotment in Heston and the RNLI.
Lorna left her whole estate to the RNLI with the request that the funds be used for the purchase of a boat named Hounslow Branch in memory of her late parents. Her generosity for the purchase of the lifeboat is inspiring, and the boat and the service of Walmer’s crew will be a tribute to her support.
Walmer’s Operations Manager Denis Brophy said: ‘All the volunteers at Walmer RNLI are excited to welcome the new boat. We are honoured that Miss Newman was so generous in her legacy, enabling us to continue saving lives at sea. The replacement of the lifeboat is a significant event for Walmer. A formal naming ceremony will take place later in the year.’
Notes to editors
Walmer lifeboat station was established in 1856.
It currently operates two inshore lifeboats – a B Class Atlantic 85 Hounslow Branch and a smaller D Class Duggie Rodbard II.
Crews have received 28 Awards for Gallantry
To find out more about Walmer lifeboat station go to https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/walmer-lifeboat-station
RNLI media contacts
- Chris Winslade, Lifeboat Press Officer, Walmer Lifeboat Station on 01304 374475 or 07906 623037 [email protected]
- Julie Rainey, RNLI Regional Communications Lead on 07827 358256 [email protected]
- Hatti Mellor, RNLI Regional Communications Manager (London/East/South East) on 07724 801305 [email protected]
- For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789 or [email protected]
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, X, TikTok 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.