New Man at the Helm for Holyhead RNLI

Mark Wade, who first joined the crew in 1992, said he feels ‘extremely honoured’ to be given the role, after more than three decades as a volunteer for the charity.

After joining the crew at the tender age of 18, to soon becoming an inshore lifeboat helm and a crewman on the various all-weather lifeboats at the station, Mark has a wealth of knowledge and experience to bring to the role. He has seen many changes at the station, and as well as the hundreds of calls he has attended, he has been heavily involved in the training of new crew members, fundraising events, and started training to be a coxswain himself last year.

‘It’s a huge privilege to be a part of the station’s history, and I feel very proud and honoured to be leading the crew and station into the future, as well as serving the amazing community we have in Holyhead,’ he said.

‘I first joined because I was into fishing, and used to visit the old station on Salt Island with my friend Dave Roberts. We decided one day to volunteer, and the coxswain at the time, Graham, took us both on. We’ve been with the station ever since, with Dave being the inshore lifeboat Senior Helm now.’

Mark is following in the footsteps of previous coxswains Graham Drinkwater MBE, Brian Thomson MBE and the last coxswain Tony Price, who announced he was stepping down from the role earlier this year.

Speaking of Mark’s appointment, David Owens, the station’s Lifeboat Operations Manager said:

‘I am thrilled at Mark’s appointment, which has been hard-earned after years of voluntary service. It will be a privilege to support him as he makes the role his own. He has a broad range of experience, which makes him the ideal person to lead the volunteers who crew our lifeboats here in Holyhead. I wish him the very best of luck, and I know he will be an outstanding coxswain.’

For any further information, please contact Vicki Owens, Holyhead Lifeboat Press Officer on 07531 681409, or email [email protected]

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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