RNLI volunteers at Rhyl are to share in a £4,000 donation from Pontin’s Holidays, which will be used to ensure the crew’s lifejackets are in tip-top condition.
Kind-hearted holidaymakers have been helping to fundraise for the lifejacket exchange project at three locations around the UK coast. Rhyl, Burnham on Sea and Lowestoft RNLI lifeboat stations, which are all in close proximity to Pontin’s parks will all share the slice of cash.
Pontin’s Holiday Parks have supported the RNLI for the past decade and each year money has been allocated to a specific project. Pontins mascot ‘Chuckles the Monkey’ visited the station on 21 February, and handed over the cash, which will help ensure the lifejackets worn by the Rhyl RNLI crew are in the very best working order.
The RNLI annually services the 5,000 lifejackets in operation to ensure that they meet the Coastguard’s strict regulations for use and involve a variety of checks to ensure buoyancy, the integrity and their visibility. Bulbs, batteries, valves are also checked to ensure they are working. Approximately 360 lifejackets of all types are serviced monthly.
Paul Frost, RNLI Lifeboat Press Officer at Rhyl says:
‘The RNLI uses a variety of different lifejackets to meet the demands from the environments in which it operates from the beach to the survivor cabin. All together there are at least seven different type of lifejacket that help the inshore and all weather lifeboat crews, the lifeguards, the shore helpers, the training crews, as well those operating tractors and not to mention those used for survivors.
‘Servicing these lifejackets regularly is crucial, but is an expensive business. As a charity, the RNLI is very grateful to Pontins for its kind donation towards the project.’
Pontin’s Chairman, Graham Parr, says:
‘We have supported the RNLI for many years and will continue to do so. They not only save lives at sea but, with more people including our guests visiting the beach for pleasure, they are key to promoting beach safety and providing adults and children with the right information so that they have fun safely.’
