Looe RNLI welcome coastal walking couple back to their home county

Sally and Antony Brown, who live in Cornwall, set off from RNLI Bude Lifeboat Station on 15 May 2023 to walk clockwise around the entire British coastline, raising funds for the RNLI, Cornwall Air Ambulance and other charities. After 11 months of walking, the couple arrived back into their home county. Along their walk Sally and Antony visited as many lifeboat stations as possible and volunteers at RNLI Looe Lifeboat Station were delighted to welcome them to the Albatross boathouse this lunchtime, Thursday 2 May 2024 as they walked through Looe.

Sally and Antony aim to arrive back in Bude on the 22 May and are looking forward to the final stage of their walk along the Cornish coastline. The couple’s home is visible from the coast path and Sally says she is determined to resist “popping back home” until they have completed their challenge!

Meeting Sally and Antony, our Lifeboat Visits Officer Carol, showed the couple the charity’s inshore lifeboats and launch tractors and explained how our volunteer crews launch and recover the lifeboats at high and low tide. Antony and Sally also met members of our visits team and shop team who collectively congratulated them on their amazing achievement and for supporting our volunteer crews saving lives at sea.

Leaving Looe the couple realised they only had another 10 lifeboat stations around Cornwall to visit before arriving back at Bude Lifeboat Station.

Their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UKCoastWalk features highlights of their 5600 mile walk

To sponsor Antony and Sally please have a look at https://www.justgiving.com/page/ukcoastwalk

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Photos:

· Sally and Antony Brown at Looe Lifeboat Station
Photo credit RNLI / Ian Foster

· Sally and Antony Brown standing next to the charity’s Talus MB4-H launch tractor
Photo credit RNLI / Ian Foster

· Sally and Antony Brown leaving Looe
Photo credit RNLI / Ian Foster

Information:

· Re-established as an inshore lifeboat station in 1992, Looe RNLI operate two inshore lifeboats
An Atlantic 85 Sheila and Dennis Tongue II and a D Class Ollie Naismith II

· For further information on Looe RNLI Lifeboats please visit our website https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/looe-lifeboat-station

· Looe RNLI Facebook page www.facebook.com/LooeRNLI

· In 2024, the RNLI will be celebrating 200 years - and counting, commemorating this remarkable past, celebrating our lifesaving achievements today, and inspiring a future where we can save every one. More information on RNLI 200 can be found at https://rnli.org/about-us/our-history/2024

· Click here to access the RNLI 200^th anniversary media pack, which contains a selection of RNLI archive images from key points in the charity’s history, an RNLI history timeline, and a film of ‘200 years in 200 seconds’ – all of which can be downloaded.

Media contacts

For more information please telephone

Ian Foster, RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for Looe Lifeboat Station, on 07902 753228 or [email protected] or [email protected]

or Emma Haines, RNLI Regional Communications Manager, on 07866 668847 or [email protected]

or Amy Caldwell, RNLI Regional Communications Lead, on 07920 818807 or [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.

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.