Stourbridge RNLI Fundraising Group visit New Quay to present plaque

Joining the group were also members of the Stourbridge RNLI Fundraising Group - Chris Fonteyn, Chairman, Helena Turner, and Sue and Jim Coombes, who presented New Quay RNLI’s Coxswain Daniel Potter and Mechanic Bernie Davies with an engraved glass plaque to commemorate 31 years of service of the retired Mersey class lifeboat Frank and Lena Clifford of Stourbridge, which will be proudly displayed in the boathouse.

Largely funded thanks to a legacy left to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution by the late Frank Clifford of Stourbridge, the all-weather lifeboat was placed on service in New Quay, Wales, on April 8, 1992. Frank Clifford was the owner and managing director of an industrial company near Stourbridge.

Over the past 31 years, the RNLB Frank and Lena Clifford of Stourbridge provided vital lifesaving services to the communities of Cardigan Bay and visitors alike - having launched for duty 219 times, aided 216 people in difficulty in the sea, and saved 21 lives.

Stourbridge fundraiser and Rotary President, Dale Wilkins, arrived at the boathouse with his wife Sally after walking the North Wales coast path, raising over £1000 for New Quay RNLI.

The RNLI Stourbridge Branch has pledged to continue to maintain the proud relationship it has enjoyed with New Quay Lifeboat Station and its volunteer crew over the years.

Daniel Potter, New Quay RNLI’s Coxswain said, “We would like to thank the Stourbridge branch for their ongoing support over many years, including a significant contribution to our Shannon appeal. We are very grateful for their support that ensures our service can continue across Cardigan Bay.”

RNLI media contacts
For more information please contact Kate Williams, New Quay Lifeboat Press Officer at [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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