Avid fundraisers support RNLI

This dedicated group of fundraisers do events every year for the Mablethorpe RNLI

Barry Bisby from Rotherham - who has a caravan at Mermaid Caravan Park in Seaholme Road - frequently gets together with a number of holidaymakers from all over the country at the Mermaid Inn.

This group, who now consider each other as family, started raising funds for the Mablethorpe RNLI in 1991 and have continued to do so ever since.

It started out with their annual boat pull event - but this ceased to continue in 2014 due to some of the group members suffering ill from health.

Now they say they have ‘scaled down’ fundraising operations and are doing a sponsored bike ride from Mablethorpe to Ingoldmells.

The group was out in force during the recent August Bank Holiday Monday and have this year raised more than £700 for the cause, with more funds still to come in.

Mr Bisby explains: “We regularly come down to Mablethorpe as often as we can for time away and we have always thought highly of the RNLI here.

“It has been 25 years since we first started raising funds for them, which started out with our annual boat  pull.

“But now we have scaled down due to people getting older of suffering ill health.

“So last year and this year we have done a bike ride.

“This ride to date has raised £710.77, but more to come in, we also hold a couple of car boot sales throughout the year as well.”

Mr Bisby added: “I must take this opportunity to thank the stall holders for their support, everyone who has donated and support us this year and for the last 25 years, the Mermaid Caravan Park for all of their help and finally to the crew themselves for all the amazing efforts they put in.

“They are an amazing bunch of people.”

Dale Chapman, lifeboat operations Manager for the Mablethorpe RNLI commented on the group’s efforts.

He said: “We are all so grateful for all of the support we have received over the years from Barry and the crew.

“They are definitely one of our longest standing fundraisers.

“We cannot thank them enough for their continued fund raising efforts.

“It helps us to buy kit and undergo training.

“Even to train up new recruits costs £1,000 each to send them out to Poole to undergo their initial training.”