Rye Harbour’s RNLI Lifeboat Station’s Press Officers KT and Martin Bruce recently went on a road trip visiting RNLI lifeboat stations in other parts of the country and the trip affirmed their view that volunteering with the RNLI is like being part of one big dedicated family.
“It’s a family of which we are proud to be members,’ said Rye Harbour Lifeboat Press Officer (LPO) KT Bruce, who made the trip with her husband Martin, who is the station’s Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer.The couple’s first visit was to Torbay Lifeboat Station in Devon.
“We received a warm welcome from Vicki Bowen, the LPO there, who talked to us about her role, which is a really busy one –as the station had 96 shouts (requests for help) last year”, said KT. “We learned a great deal and were then taken to their pride and joy (pictured above), a Severn class lifeboat named after Alec and Christina Dykes. There are 35 of these around the country.
“We were shown round the vessel by Carole Pearson, their Lifeboats Visits’ Officer, who gave us a comprehensive tour packed with information. It is an impressive vessel and a great deal bigger than our Atlantic inshore craft in Rye.
But, explained KT, what the two stations have in common is the dedication of their crews, fundraising teams and press officers who all come together to help save lives at sea and keep people alert to the dangers of the water.
“It is good to remind ourselves that the vast majority of these people are volunteers who give up many hours of their free time for the common good,” KT added.
The couple continued their travels and visited Bembridge Lifeboat Station which is located at the eastern end of the Isle of Wight, adjacent to the infamous Bembridge Ledge (the cause of many wrecks).
Founded in 1867, the station (shown right) has a Tamar class all-weather lifeboat, Alfred Albert Williams, and a D class inshore lifeboat, Norman Harvey.
We were hosted at Bembridge RNLI by Mike Samuelson, the LPO. The Bembridge experience is really interesting because the lifeboat station is situated at the end of a very long walkway out to the boathouse on concrete stilts. Visitors say it has the ‘wow’ factor,’ explains KT.
“One thing that comes across when you visit different stations is that the people we meet are really proud of the job they do, from the LOM ( Local Operation manager) through to fundraisers, people manning the shops, the coxswains, helms, crews, press officers and mechanics.”
If you want to support your local lifeboat station, please give your backing to ‘Mayday’ the RNLI’s yellow-themed annual fundraiser which runs from 1 – 31 May. The initiative is a celebration of the charity’s volunteer lifeboat crews who are on call 24 hours a day, every day, to save lives at sea.
This year, the RNLI wants to raise £750,000 to fund the vital kit that will keep its volunteer crews safe, whatever the weather throws at them. Will you help us by raising money this Mayday?
[Editor’s note: The international distress call “Mayday” comes from the French “M’aidez”, help me !]
Photos: KT Bruce and Vicki Bowen