Whitby RNLI launched 42 times last year, aided 34 people and saved one life. Already this year, crews have rescued a jet skier, a young teen injured by a rock fall at Saltwick Beach and several stricken fishing boats.
None of it would have been possible without donations from the public to the RNLI.
The charity is reliant on donations and funding to make sure its volunteer crews and lifeboats are ready to go at any time of day and night.
Whitby is one of the busiest lifeboat stations for the Yorkshire and Humber region and its biggest fundraising event of the year is its RNLI Flag Weekend, which took place last weekend.
With music, cakes, stalls and family activities, visits from The Subaru and Lotus car owners clubs respectively, the event raised £13,355 and vital funds to ensure it the RNLI can continue its work in Whitby.
Senior Station Technician and Coxswain, Richard Dowson said: “We still have little bits coming in to add to the total but we are blown away at raising over £13,000. Last year we did just under £11,000 and we’ve smashed that this year.
I need to say a big thank you to our volunteer crew who alongside carrying a pager and being on call 24/7 have given up their weekend to set up stalls, sell cakes, shake buckets and take part in the lifeboat demonstration. Then there’s our families who support us all year round and always get stuck in over the weekend.
A big thank you to our Friends of Whitby Lifeboat who work so hard and always have a smile on their faces.
We are also very grateful to the Subaru and Lotus clubs who provide a great attraction on the pier during the weekend and contributed hundreds of pounds to our fundraising effort.
Lastly a special mention to DJ, David Johnson, our station treasurer who had the mammoth task of counting all the donations and does a fantastic job.”
Barry Brown station manager at Whitby Lifeboat Station said: “What a fantastic weekend, we are very grateful to the public who generously donate and allow us to keep saving lives at sea,”
