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Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland names RNLI as charity partner

Lifeboats News Release

Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland has announced the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) as its official charity partner for the next three years.

L-R Red Bay RNLI Volunteers Sinead Sharpe, Stephen Conway, Coxswain Paddy McLaughlin with Simon Fitzpatrick, General Manager, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland

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L-R Red Bay RNLI Volunteers Sinead Sharpe, Stephen Conway, Coxswain Paddy McLaughlin with Simon Fitzpatrick, General Manager, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland

The RNLI is a charity that saves lives at sea and on a number of inland waters, primarily through lifeboat crews, and a lifeguard service in Northern Ireland.

The 24-hour search and rescue service, relies on volunteers and donations to fund their lifesaving activities. The RNLI also focuses on preventing drowning incidents through education visits, awareness campaigns and promoting water safety in local communities.

The three-year charity partnership will see Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland provide donations to the lifesaving charity, as well as support through its volunteering programme.

Coca-Cola HBC is the strategic bottling partner of The Coca-Cola Company on the island of Ireland. Having operated in the region for over 85 years, Coca-Cola HBC is committed to supporting local communities through providing resource and funding to causes which impact those its serves.

Simon Fitzpatrick, General Manager, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland said: “The RNLI offer life saving services for people across the island of Ireland every day. We are thrilled to welcome them as our charity partner for the next three years.

“As a business rooted in our local communities across the island of Ireland, we see the incredible work done by the RNLI, and how valuable they are as a community resource. We look forward to working with the RNLI through our charity and volunteering initiatives over the next three years to ensure true impact can be achieved.”

Daniel Curran, RNLI Regional Engagement Lead said: ‘We are delighted to be working with Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland on this exciting three-year partnership. As a charity whose mission is to save lives, we rely on the people who live and work in local communities, to volunteer and come together, to train and help save lives. This partnership is a wonderful opportunity to raise funds to support the work our lifesavers do, ensuring they have the best training and equipment to rescue those in trouble, while also sharing water safety advice and benefiting from the company’s volunteering programme.’

‘Both the RNLI and Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland operate across the island of Ireland and have strong roots in local communities. Not only will this partnership raise much-needed funds for the charity, it will also save lives.’

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L-R Red Bay RNLI Coxswain Paddy McLaughlin, Lifeboat crew Gareth McAlister and Sinead Sharpe with Simon Fitzpatrick, General Manager, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland

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L-R Red Bay RNLI Coxswain Paddy McLaughlin, Lifeboat crew Gareth McAlister and Sinead Sharpe with Simon Fitzpatrick, General Manager, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI is the charity that 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 146,700 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.