Hastings RNLI bring lifesaving message to Old Town Carnival

The RNLI contingent led the parade alongside HM Coastguard, with the lifeguard truck and inflatable lifeboat attracting plenty of attention from the crowds.

The inflatable lifeboat was carried through the Old Town on the shoulders of two willing volunteers. A sight that raised plenty of smiles and cheers along the route.

The group included a launch authority, lifeboat press officer, head of fundraising, fundraising volunteers and a trainee shore crew member who has recently joined the station. RNLI supporters joined them with donation buckets and handed out free RNLI gifts carrying the Float to Live water safety message.

The day was also a chance to celebrate 25 years of RNLI Lifeguards. Hastings Lifeguards have been a familiar sight on the town’s beaches for many years, helping keep local people and visitors safe.

For the volunteers, it was a great opportunity to meet supporters, chat about the RNLI and enjoy one of the town’s biggest community events.

Bob Morrison, volunteer Head of Fundraising, said: ‘The response from the crowd was brilliant. People were smiling, cheering and stopping to talk to us. It was great to see how much affection there is for the RNLI in Hastings.’

The RNLI is a charity that depends on voluntary donations to fund its lifesaving work. Volunteer lifeboat crews provide a search and rescue service around the UK and Ireland, while RNLI Lifeguards provide a lifesaving service on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands.

RNLI Media Contacts

For further information, please contact:

Linda Revill, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for RNLI South East, [email protected]

Stella Sims, Regional Communications Manager for London and South East England, 01202 137714,

[email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]

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, 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.