I have been a volunteer crewman with Solent Rescue Independent Lifeboat, based at Lepe Country park in the Western Solent for nearly 5 years, in addition to assisting with duties afloat or ashore, I also assist with fundraising for the unit. I am also the media and recruitment manager. Solent Rescue is run by a dedicated team of volunteers who give their time freely to ensure the unit remains operational, 365 days of the year. As a charity organisation, we are funded through grants, fundraising and street collections which contribute towards needed maintenance, running costs and equipment for both crew and boat.
As you can appreciate it is a constant battle to raise the finances needed to keep a volunteer search and rescue unit operational in one of the busiest waterways in the world with over 79,000 shipping movements, not to mention the huge number of leisure craft users that use the Solent each year.
My hope is that Solent Rescue can continue to be a valuable asset, too the Coastguard and maritime users whether commercial or for leisure.
Unfortunately our Arctic 24 lifeboat "Solent Rescue One" has suffered a persistent fault with one the engines, being 10 years old they have served the unit well. Despite the generous efforts of local engineers and the in-house maintenance team.
This has led to this boat being taken off service and unable to attend Coastguard tasked emergencies.
Whilst we have managed to acquire replacement engines, this has come at a big financial cost to the unit which may have a knock on effect with our running costs in the near future.
As a small independent charity we are turning to the public and our loyal supporters for help.
Perhaps you know of someone, or a company that might consider giving a one off donation or sponsorship? If so, we would be very grateful to hear from you. You can get in touch by messaging us through Facebook (Solent Rescue Lifeboat) or by emailing us at [email protected]
If you would like to donate any amount, no matter how small you can do so through this website or https://www.solent-rescue.org.uk/new-donate.
All funds raised will go directly towards maintaining the operational capability of our vessels, if you would like to visit us we are more than happy to see you at our base in Lepe Country Park on the weekends.
https://www.solent-rescue.org.uk/