Beaumaris Lifeboat Station was awarded a Centenary Vellum from the RNLI in recognition of 100 years aggregate service during a special commemorative service at St Mary and St Nicholas Church in Beaumaris on Sunday 17 October.
Beaumaris Lifeboat Station was established in 1891. It closed in 1895 when Penmon was provided with a more powerful lifeboat but reopened in 1914 and in 1991 was re-graded to an all year round Inshore Lifeboat Station. Beaumaris has had a long association with the BBC Children’s TV programme Blue Peter receiving three new lifeboats generously provided by the viewers.
The last boat, Blue Peter II was on active service on the Menai Strait for over nine years until January this year. It notched up an impressive record of answering 578 calls, 186 of those were at night and 25 involved air cooperation. Blue Peter II saved the lives of 19 people and brought an additional 616 people ashore for their own safety and had in total spent 555.6 hours at sea on rescue missions. It was replaced by the new Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat. This is the most advanced inshore lifeboat ever produced by the RNLI and with Beaumaris being the busiest inshore RNLI lifeboat station in Wales during the summer of 2009, it has greatly enhanced the capability at the station and enabled the crew to provide a faster service along the Menai Strait.
The Vellum recognises the great cause of life-saving from disaster at sea and desires to acknowledge with warm appreciation the voluntary commitment of the local lifeboat community and the dedication and courage of the coxswains, helmsmen and crews who have never failed to maintain the high traditions of the lifeboat service.
Mr Michael Vlasto OBE, RNLI Operations Director presented the Vellum to David Jones, Deputy Launching Authority, who accepted the Vellum on behalf of Beaumaris Lifeboat Station.
During the 100 years, six silver medals and one bronze medal have been awarded to Beaumaris lifeboat crew as well as other awards including several Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellums, Letters of Appreciation and a number of Vellums.
