Coastal Watch's open day to boost life-saving funds

Barry Carr with his Newfoundland dog, Lewis who is the Mablethorpe Coast Watch mascot.

The National Coastwatch Institution’s (NCI) Mablethorpe station held a family fun day event on the King George V field in Mablethorpe on Sunday.

There were stalls held by organisations including the RNLI, Lincolnshire Police and RAFA, as well as various craft stalls held by local makers.

Spokesman Malcolm Drury said: “We had a good day, collecting £475, and we sold plenty of jigsaws and cakes and crafts.”

Martin Taylor and Bill Watson of Mablethorpe Lifeboat Shop.

The strong winds nearly threatened to put a dampener on the day however, as the wind blew the NCI’s marquee up in the air and it landed on Mablethorpe town crier David Summers’s car! Thankfully there was no lasting damage or injury.

The NCI is a voluntary organisation that provides the eyes and ears along the coast, monitoring radio channels, providing a listening watch in poor visibility and alert the HM Coastguard and appropriate rescue services.

The organisation is run entirely by volunteers, who undergo training and give their time to monitor the coast 9am to 5pm, seven days a week, and also provide back up for the coastguard if needed.

The NCI is currently raising the required £50-60,000 to build a brand new station, and as they receive no government funding, rely on the generosity of the public to keep their good work going.

To find out more about NCI Mablethorpe, or to enquire about volunteering as a watch keeper, visit www.nci.org.uk/mablethorpe or call 01507 237069.