Lifeguards centre stage at Blessing of the Sea ceremony

Organised by the Hastings Old Town Parish, and supported by the RNLI, this traditional event involves the blessing of the sea, and all who use it. The service was conducted by the Rev Mathew Phipps, supported by the Rev Ellie Phipps, with the organ being played by Dr Matt Geer. It was the last formal event in Hastings Old Town Carnival Week this year, and was also attended by the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Hastings (Cllr Paula Warne and Cllr Amanda Jobson, respectively).

This year marks the 25^th anniversary of the formation of RNLI Lifeguards, and to recognise this the lesson was read by Hastings Lead Lifeguard Supervisor Nelly Gallichan, and the wreath placed in the sea by lifeguard Amelie Holdbrook. Paul Freathy, Chair of Hastings Lifeboat Management Group, read one of the prayers.

Paul said, 'The Blessing of the Sea is an important tradition here in Hastings, as it is in many coastal towns and ports. Our lifeboat station is in the heart of Hastings Old Town in every respect, and we were delighted to be asked to support this event. We were very pleased to be joined by our mayor and deputy mayor, and I was honoured to be asked to read some of the prayers.

It was very appropriate that our RNLI Lifeguards played such a significant role in the service too, their 25th anniversary, with Nelly reading the lesson and Amelie placing the wreath on the sea from her paddleboard.'

The traditional refreshments were served after the event, but in an interesting and appropriate postscript the lifeboat pagers went off during this for a ‘shout’, to a young person trapped in the sea off St Leonards. As the crew assembled and arrangements were being made to launch, the launch was then cancelled, as the young person was rescued by the RNLI Lifeguards based in St Leonards (west Hastings).

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Julie Rainey, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for London and South East England, 07827 358256, [email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]

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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.

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