Retired engineers donate funds to RNLI after fleet maintenance open evening
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has received a donation following an open evening at Perranporth’s Area Support Centre to demonstrate the extensive work the RNLI technical department take on behind the scenes to keep our lifesaving service running.
A group of semi-retired engineers from the Institute of Road Transport Engineers (IRTE) who have a passion for all things technical, visited Perranporth ASC to attend a presentation by the RNLI maintenance staff detailing how the charity’s technical team maintain and repair its extensive fleet of lifesaving equipment.
On Thursday 23 June, RNLI Systems Technician James Cornish kicked off the evening with a presentation of the lifesaving equipment such as all-terrain vehicles, rescue water craft, inshore rescue boats and four-wheel-drives, before moving on to a tour of the workshop and maintenance and repair facilities.
James said:
‘It was a rather nerve-racking evening as I hadn’t done any public speaking since I’d left college, which was quite some time ago now, but I managed to keep the group entertained.
‘I was lucky enough to borrow some display aids from the technical training department at the RNLI headquarters in Poole which helped me to explain how some of equipment operates. I also arranged some lifeguard equipment around the support centre workshop – it looked good, almost like a car show room.’
At the end of the evening, the IRTE group presented the RNLI with a £120 donation to show their appreciation of our lifesavers and technical team, which has been passed on to the St. Agnes Fundraising Guild.
Howard Stevens of the IRTE said:
‘The explanation of the unique challenges that the team face in maintaining and repairing RNLI vehicles and craft was truly amazing; we would like to express our sincere appreciation for an excellent presentation and evening in the workshops.’
Notes to editors
- Please see attached photos of the IRTE with some of the RNLI technical team in Cornwall
- To support RNLI lifesavers, please visit https://rnli.org/support-us/give-money/donate
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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.
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