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Fit-out continues apace at Wandsworth Riverside for Chiswick RNLI’s new base
After 25 years at cramped quarters in a shared building in Chiswick, crew will benefit from greatly improved facilities at the new lifeboat station.
The fit out of the new station will provide generous spaces for the operational needs of the crew as well as a large training/meeting room and space for relaxation between the twelve hour shifts.
The station will also boast a new Visitors Centre where RNLI personnel will be able to host groups, and teach visiting children, clubs, societies, and the general public about water safety and the work the RNLI does on the Thames and further afield. The glazed doors to the centre fold back so activities can spread out onto the large deck facing the river.
Work is also proceeding on improvements to the existing pontoon to provide dedicated berths for the duty and standby lifeboats. The jetty at Wandsworth is a stop on the Thames Clipper river bus service and has moorings for residential boats. Wandsworth Pier is three miles downstream from Chiswick but is nearer to the majority of incidents so response times should be shorter.
The new station and pontoon will undergo a thorough testing programme of all the equipment and services before becoming fully operational.
Chiswick RNLI lifeboat station is the second busiest in the UK and Ireland. Since The RNLI search and rescue service on the Thames started in 2002, Chiswick Lifeboat has attended over 5,000 incidents and rescued over 2,500 people. The RNLI is entirely funded by public donations.
RNLI Media Contacts
For further information, please contact:
David Clarke, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for Chiswick RNLI [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.