Join in the fun with the RNLI at the Royal Cornwall Show

The RNLI will have three stands at this year’s annual Royal Cornwall Show. Local volunteers from the charity will be on hand to offer safety advice on a range of topics at the start of the summer season.

RNLI volunteers will also be teaching children how to float in the safety of a ball pool close to the show’s south entrance at stand 495. Once they have mastered this skill, they can go on to search for a golden ball in a larger ball pool and win a prize.

This activity is part of the charity’s national drowning prevention campaign, Respect the Water, encouraging people to float if they fall into the water.

At stand 156, dog owners will have the chance for their four-legged friend to feature in the charity’s dog walking safety campaign, which encourages dog owners to take care when walking their pets at the coast. RNLI volunteers will host a canine photo booth where owners can have a photo taken of their four-legged friends. They will then be able to download the picture and share it with their families and friends on social media, using the hashtag #RNLITopDog. Three of the images will be chosen to feature in the RNLI’s South West dog safety campaign over the summer.

Each day at 1.30pm, visitors to the show will also be able to see an inflatable D class lifeboat up close near the lake at stand 812. RNLI volunteers will be on hand to talk to the public about the lifeboat and the equipment that the charity uses to save lives at sea.

A D class lifeboat is highly manoeuvrable and well suited to the conditions of the Cornish coast. RNLI crews often work in challenging conditions as a result of westerly storms and large surf rolling in off the Atlantic, as well as navigating around steep cliffs, caves and coves.

Rebecca Hodges, RNLI Regional Marketing Manager, says:

‘We hope to meet lots of families and dog owners at the show. We will be hosting lots of activities to help spread our safety messages One of these is our dog safety campaign, which returns for a second year. Getting into trouble in the water can be traumatic for pets and owners are often tempted to try and rescue their dogs which can lead to people putting themselves in danger.

‘We would like to talk to dog owners about what they can do when walking their pets on the coast to prevent these incidents and encourage them to share, via the power of social media, these messages with their friends and family.

‘We hope to meet lots of families with children, to teach as many as possible about the importance of remembering to relax and float should you find yourself in danger in the water – this basic tip could save your life. We are also inviting people to come and see our D class lifeboat up close and learn more about the equipment our volunteers use to save lives at sea.’

Notes to editors

• Media are invited along to our stands at the times listed above, where there will be spokespeople available and a chance to try out or watch our activities
• If you’d like to set up an interview before or during the show, please call Emma on the details below.

RNLI media contacts

For more information contact Emma Haines, RNLI Regional Media Officer, on 07786 668847 or email [email protected] or the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity 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 142,700 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter 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.