Son of lifeboat donor starts tour at Calshot RNLI
Calshot RNLI were delighted to welcome Julian Coles and Debbie Claridge to the station during the New Years Day Brew With The Crew event as they launched their tour of all 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland.
Julian is the son of Trevor who in 1988 was instrumental in raising £10,000 for the RNLI and subsequently had a D-class lifeboat, D-407 Marlborough Club, Didcot named and placed into service in 1988. The Oxford Mail reported that one of the activities that took place to raise the money for the lifeboat was a twenty-four-hour darts marathon.
Julian and his partner Debbie are donating Bettys Pots to each and every station on their tour and will be running additional fundraising activities, including two quiz nights at the Marlborough Club, Didcot on 22 March and 18 October.
Julian chose to start his tour at Calshot as in 2003, the boat, that was then part of the RNLI’s relief fleet was the first D-class lifeboat to be placed into service at Calshot, arriving on the 20 March until 17 December, when it was replaced by D-609 248 Squadron RAF.
Of the tour Julian said: ‘We’re visiting all stations in the UK and Ireland, plus the Inshore Lifeboat Centre and RNLI HQ at Poole. The tour will include approximately 35,000 miles by road, 33 ferry trips, 10 flights and 1 steam train journey. In addition to the Bettys Pots we’re delivering we are hoping to match the £10,000 that my Dad helped to raise in 1988.’
You can follow Julian and Debbie’s journey and donate at:
https://www.justgiving.com/page/julian-coles-1701532659926
RNLI media contacts
For more information please contact:
Justyn Leonard, Lifeboat Press Officer on 07540 920678 or email [email protected]
Neil Lewin, Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer on 07727 600518 or email [email protected]
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.
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