Coastwatcher 'humbled' to receive MBE in New Year's Honours

Ian Granville Whalley, deputy chairman and national fundraising officer and volunteer senior watchkeeper for National Coastwatch Institute (NCI), was awarded his MBE for services to public safety and charity after raising thousands of pounds for the charity.

Mr Whalley, who has been a volunteer in Skegness for 12 years and is lead on East Coast new stations, said he was ‘humbled’ to receive the award but also delighted because it showed the lifesaving work of the charity, which was felt had been overshadowed by that of the RNLI, had finally been recognised.

The former Merchant Navy radio officer said he was ‘astonished’ to hear of his award in a phone call from the Government.

"I was driving along the M62 at the time and had to pull over,” Mr Whalley, who lives in Louth, recalled. “I was absolutely stunned but when I got over the shock I felt very humbled.

"I have absolutely no idea who nominated me and it has been very difficult keeping it quiet as I have known since November.

"I still have to be officially presented with the award and that could be by the new King, which is very exciting.

”But amongst the many messages I have received since the announcement was a letter of congratulations from the Lord-Lieutenant of Lincolnshire M. Toby Dennis.”

Mr Whalley is no stranger to meeting members of the Royal Family in his role as NCI deputy chairman, overseeing 26,500 volunteers from Fleetwood in the North West to Filey in the North East.

In 2018, Mr Whalley was officer in charge when the charity’s patron, Princess Anne, visited the Skegness watch station in the grounds of the former Derbyshire Miners’ Retreat in Winthorpe.

NCI Chairman Clive Pouncey, said: “Ian has been a Trustee for over ten years and in that time he has been responsible for raising many thousands of pounds from corporate sponsors, opening several new stations along the east coast and continues to mount a weekly watch at NCI Skegness.”