Menu
CloseWells lifeboat marks the next chapter of lifesaving
Sun 9 Sep 2018
Crew members and guests with our current all-weather lifeboat Doris M Mann of Ampthill
Sir Mark Sedwill, Chair of The Lifeboat Fund and Sarah, Countess of Leicester, unveiling the plaque
A plaque was unveiled today at Wells Lifeboat Station to mark the successful conclusion of The Lifeboat Fund's appeal to provide £1.1M towards the cost of the station's new Shannon-class lifeboat and boathouse.
The Civil Service charity The Lifeboat Fund has supported the RNLI for over 150 years and its 150th Anniversary Appeal set out to raise money for a new all-weather lifeboat for Wells. The plaque honours a generous legacy donation from retired civil servant Miss Louene Smith which took the fund to its target and provided a further £100,000 which will go towards the cost of building the new boathouse.
The Lifeboat Fund's support, along with other donations, including a local appeal which raised over £250,000, will enable crew and volunteers at Wells Lifeboat Station to begin a new chapter of lifesaving on the North Norfolk coast.
RNLI volunteers, trustees and guests attended today's event, including Sir Mark Sedwill, Chair of the Lifeboat Fund, Sarah, Countess of Leicester, Cllr Michael Gates, Mayor of Wells-next-the-Sea and John Bines, RNLI Deputy Fundraising Director.
Sir Mark Sedwill, Chair of the Lifeboat Fund, said: 'Her generosity in donating a £445,000 legacy, along with the valiant fundraisers of The Lifeboat Fund, have allowed us to complete the £1.1M of fundraising for the 53rd lifeboat we have funded for the RNLI - and provide a further £100,000 funding for the new boathouse that will be the home of the new Shannon Class Lifeboat.'
Chris Hardy, Wells RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, said: 'On behalf of the volunteer crew and everyone associated with the RNLI Lifeboat Station in Wells, we are deeply indebted to The Lifeboat Fund for its incredible fundraising efforts towards the cost of our new Shannon lifeboat and what a marvellous way this is for the Fund to mark its 150th anniversary of raising money for the RNLI.'
'We also acknowledge with thanks the generous legacy donation made by Miss Louene Smith, which closed The Lifeboat Fund appeal earlier this year. The money will be used to fund the earlery shore works associated with our new boathouse build, which will commence later this year.'