New Years Day victory for New Brighton RNLI
New Brighton RNLI volunteers win in tug of war competition against Mersey Divers, for the Bob Grant Memorial Trophy.
On Thursday 1 January 2026, volunteers from New Brighton RNLI took part in the annual tug of war against the Mersey Divers Branch 5. The competition has ran for many years, and the men’s bout is competed for the Bob Grant Memorial Trophy, named for the late Captain Robert Grant, who was a valued volunteer at New Brighton RNLI for many years, and who helped to establish the tug of war tradition almost ten years ago. The women’s team compete for the Vince Clegg Memorial Trophy, in memory of the late Vince Clegg, who was chairman of the dive club.
The event took place at 12 noon, with the women's team going head-to-head first, followed by the men’s team. Both teams put up a fierce fight but New Brighton RNLI took victory with the women's team winning 2-1 and the men’s team winning 2-0.
The turn out for the event saw large crowds of supporters, despite poor weather conditions, with Wirral Coastguard Rescue Team in attendance, as well as friends, family and supporters from the local community.
There was also cause for another celebration yesterday with volunteer helm Mark Harding being presented his 20 years long service medal by the Wirral Mayor and Mayoress, who were in attendance on the day.
Lee Arnall, Lifeboat Operations Manager, said:
'After yet another busy year at New Brighton RNLI today's tug of war was a wonderful reminder of the strength of support that we enjoy from the local community. It's amazing to see so many people turn out to cheer us on, especially in inclement weather!
Special thanks to Mersey Divers Branch 5 for being such wonderful competition as always, to the Mayor and Mayoress for being so gracious and generous of their time and support for our station, and a big congratulations to Mark Harding on his medal receipt - his commitment to saving lives at sea for New Brighton RNLI is remarkable!'
Notes to Editors:
New Brighton RNLI was established in 1863 in the bustling seaside resort of New Brighton, on the northeast corner of the Wirral peninsula. They cover the River Mersey and out into the Irish Sea.
The station is home to a B-class Atlantic 85 lifeboat, one of the fastest in the RNLI fleet. The crews at New Brighton have been presented with a remarkable 48 awards for gallantry to date.
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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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