Treasurer Brian Cursley praises the charity’s dedicated team of volunteers

A Lyme Regis Lifeboat supporters raised almost £67,000 for the RNLI last year.

The figure was announced at the annual general meeting last week when the fundraising volunteers were praised for their outstanding efforts.

The meeting heard there are plans for a better-than-ever Lifeboat Week in 2019 and members agreed a name change to up their profile.

After decades as a guild, the volunteers who form the fundraising branch of the RNLI, are now members of the Lyme Regis and Charmouth Lifeboat Supporters Group.

Chairman Ken Lavery said the title of RNLI Guild ‘does not tell people what we are about.’

Members voted for the name change and now plan an open day at the lifeboat station in a bid to raise the profile of the group and attract new members.

Mr Lavery praised a ‘superb’ committee and said plans were now under way for a better than ever Lifeboat Week with many old and new events.

Treasurer Brian Cursley reported that the group had raised a total of £66,806 for the life-saving charity during 2018, including £35,152 during Lifeboat Week.

He said: ”It has been an extremely good year, and all down to our volunteers.”

The meeting heard that takings at the lifeboat shop on the Cobb totalled £138,203 and it had been the best performing RNLI shop not attached to a museum or visitor experience centre.

Lifeboat operations manager Nick Marks told the meeting that the volunteer crew members had answered 40 emergency calls during the year.

Analysis of the ‘shouts’ showed that most involved missing persons, people cut off by the tide, and broken down vessels.

Mr Marks said that because there were locations between Lyme Regis and Golden Cap where the lifeboat could not be beached crew members had to swim ashore to reach people in trouble.

He said the question of getting an additional, much smaller boat for use in such situations was being investigated.

Guest speaker was Steve Hockings-Thompson, coxswain with the RNLI lifeboat at Exmouth.

He described in detail the qualities of the £2.3million Shannon-class lifeboat now stationed at Exmouth and due to make an appearance during Lifeboat Week in Lyme Regis.