Seaton, Beer and District Branch RNLI celebrate another successful fundraising year

Record sales of £39,698 were recorded at the lifeboat shop in Jubilee Gardens at Beer.

The figure was revealed to members of the Seaton, Beer and District Branch RNLI at their annual general meeting last week.

In addition to the bumper sum raised at their store – the best since it opened 35 years ago – the meeting heard that retail sales at events attended during the year were £1,837.89

The shop will open for the new season from Sunday, March 20, daily from 10.30am to 4.30pm and now has the added facility of a debit/credit card machine. There will be a comprehensive sale of the range of ‘Lifesaver Sale’ items plus many new ranges and Christmas Cards.

Officials say new volunteers are needed to help the branch in different ways.

Anyone able to help should telephone 01297 23040, email wac500@hotmail.co.uk or visit the shop.

The guest speaker at the AGM was Nick Marks, operations manager at Lyme Regis Lifeboat Station, who gave a presentation on the history of the lifeboat station.

He gave the statistics for the running of the unit and said the current high-speed lifeboat, Spirit of Loch Fyne, can go from Lyme Regis to Beer in 11 minutes.

The branch’s next fundraising event is the Easter bingo evening on Thursday, March 24, at Winstons Bar and Restaurant, Harbour Road, Seaton. The doors open at 6.45pm and playing starts at 7.30pm. There will be cash prizes for all games and a bumper Easter raffle.

Plans are already being made for Beer Lifeboat Week which this year will take place from July 2 to July 8. It will include the annual street collection, ‘Brew for the Crew’, quiz night, the 11th annual duck race day and music Night at the Dolphin Hotel. Further details will be available nearer the week.

Branch secretary Wendy Cummins added: “We thank the Dolphin Hotel for their support plus all our volunteers and supporters and we look forward to a busy and successful 2016.”