Cullercoats RNLI celebrates over 100 years of volunteers’ service
Volunteers from Cullercoats RNLI were recognised for their commitment and commended for their lifesaving service at an event attended by senior members of the RNLI on Friday.
Jayne George, the RNLI’s Fundraising, Marketing and Media Director, presented five members of the Cullercoats shop team with 20 years' long-service medals; Ken Saddler, Robert Saddler, Bill Gould, Jacqui Henderson and Ally Meadows have accumulated 100 years of volunteering between them.
Awards were also presented to lifeboat crew members, in recognition of two lives saved in December last year. Paul Tooke, Miles Brown, Tim Pendleton and helm Adam Wiseman received Operations Manager Commendations for having rescued the swimmers. Both were officially recorded as lives saved, meaning that had it not been for the lifeboat’s intervention, the casualties would not have survived.
Trainee architect Miles has been on the Cullercoats crew for eight years and said of the commendation, ‘getting recognition for participating in a job within a team that saved lives is an incredible honour that wasn’t expected. Attending the incident was a normal day on the boat that we didn’t think twice about; the thanks is one that I’ll never forget.’
Bill Wraith, who donated Cullercoats RNLI’s Atlantic-85 inshore lifeboat Daddy’s Girl to the station in 2022, was also in attendance and was gifted a painting of the boat named after his daughter by local artist Mick Smith.
Launch authority Mike McGuire said of the event: ‘Although certain individuals and service calls were recognised formally, each and every one of our volunteers plays a vital part in the success of the station and should all be very proud of the role they play and the service they give to their community.'
Several of the volunteers recently attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace, with two further Cullercoats volunteers recognised for their years of dedication. Water Safety Officer and current management chair Geoff Cowan received a medal of appreciation for his 50 years of service and former chair Brian Reeds collected his 40 years' long-service medal.
RNLI Media contacts
For more information, please contact Sarah Whitelaw, RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer: [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.