NEW RNLI LIFEBOAT FOR EYEMOUTH

New RNLI lifeboat for Eyemouth. Eyemouth in Berwickshire has taken delivery of a new RNLI Shannon class lifeboat. Called Helen Hastings, the boat was built at the RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat in Poole.
Helen Hastings, who lived in Stocksfield, admired the bravery and courage of the lifesaving work carried out by all RNLI volunteers. Helen knew that the RNLI relied upon voluntary donations and upon her passing in 2016, left the majority of her estate to the RNLI, with the request that a new RNLI lifeboat for Eyemouth be built and named after her, so that the crews could continue to save many more lives.
Established in 1876, Eyemouth Lifeboat Station is located in Gunsgreen Quay, in the busy fishing port of Eyemouth. It currently operates a Trent class all-weather lifeboat and a D class inshore lifeboat.
Key facts about the RNLI
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service in the United Kingdom and Ireland from 238 lifeboat stations, including four along the River Thames and inland lifeboat stations at Loch Ness, Lough Derg, Enniskillen and Lough Ree. The RNLI has more than 1,000 lifeguards on over 240 beaches around the UK and operates a specialist flood rescue team, which can respond anywhere across the UK and Ireland when inland flooding puts lives at risk.
The RNLI relies on public donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. As a charity it works alongside, government-controlled and funded coastguard services, but is seperate from them. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824 their lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved at least 140,000 lives. Volunteers make up 95% of the charity, including 4,600 volunteer lifeboat crew members and 3,000 volunteer shore crew. Additionally, tens of thousands of other dedicated volunteers raise funds and awareness, give safety advice, and help in their museums, shops and offices.