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Pub landlord donates £5k campaign fund to Dart RNLI

Lifeboats News Release

Simon Dafforn-Jones, landlord of the Ferry Boat Inn in Dittisham, has been chosen by Coca-Cola to represent the local community in its Local Royalty campaign - and his first thought was for Dart RNLI.

RNLI/Dom Hart

Ferry Boat Inn landlord Simon Dafforn-Jones with Dart RNLI volunteers Tatty Pettigrew, Tom Shanley, Robin Johnson and Chris Lee
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As part of the campaign, Simon was invited to choose a local charity to receive a £5,000 donation.As a riverside pub, the Ferry Boat Inn has a long-standing partnership with the Dart RNLI Lifeboat and has raised money for the crew over a number of years. The Dart RNLI was Simon’s natural first choice.

Simon said: 'Being chosen as Local Royalty for Coca-Cola’s campaign is a huge honour for me and the Ferry Boat Inn, and it shines a light on our incredible local community.
'We’re really proud to have chosen the Dart RNLI to receive this donation. The work their volunteers do to keep people safe on the river and at sea is nothing short of heroic and we're incredibly proud to help them keep up their excellent work.'

Dave Nicoll, Fundraising & Partnership Lead at RNLI, South West Region added 'The RNLI at Dart is indebted to Simon for selecting our charity to receive this donation. Simon, his staff and customers are longstanding supporters of our volunteer lifeboat crew and the lifesaving work they carry out.'

RNLI Media Contacts

For further information, please contact:

Dom Hart, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for RNLI South West, [email protected]

Kyle Reed, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for South West England, 07786 668847, [email protected]

Amy Caldwell, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for South West England, 07920 818807, [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.

About the author

Dom Hart
Lifeboat Press Officer, Dart Lifeboat Station

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