Hello from all at PLIRB! Spring is here and there is a lot going happening – read on!
Out on shouts
We have been tasked on four occasions, and to each we have been rescue ready in under 15 minutes. The first two shouts involved missing children at Camber and walkers under Fairlight cliffs.
One evening we were tasked to locate and extract a lone female walker who had become lost under Fairlight. Whilst returning the casualty to safety, our observant crew spotted lights under the cliffs – clearly indicating for help. After taking the initial casualty to shore, our volunteer crew returned and safely extracted the three teenage boys. A double-tasking and great results for our dedicated team!
Boathouse development
Planning has been resubmitted and providing there are no objections, we hope this will be approved by May. We are now putting urgent efforts into raising the necessary funds – through grant applications, local sponsorships and donations. Expanding our boathouse footprint is vital to secure our future service for two essential reasons:
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- Our two boat assets and launch vehicles are stored in separate units and, while this is manageable, a single unit with more flexible space will improve efficiency and launch response times.
- Increasingly our taskings involve towing casualty vessels, which will require more power than our current lifeboat. We will need to replace our lifeboat in 2-3 years and plan to purchase a slightly larger craft that has the necessary power – however, our current boathouse is not large enough.
We welcome any support to achieve our ambitious fundraising goal of £120,000 – please contact us at plirbrescue@gmail.com or call 01424 812 457.
Crew news
We held our first quiz in March and were thrilled with the outcome! Despite the team being called out on a shout, we had a full house and raised much-needed funds. We’ll plan another one for later in the year.
Two volunteers were promoted to Crew – congratulations to Anthony Dixson and Paul Kirkham.
We held the first of a programme of joint training sessions with Rother First Responders. A hugely beneficial evening for all – focusing on specific first aid scenarios.
Recruitment
We held two recruitment days in March to continue to grow our team. We are delighted that we had interest from several potential new volunteers. But remember that joining PLIRB is not limited to certain days – you are welcome to visit or join us anytime!
Rescue Boat Code assessment
We welcomed a surveyor who conducted the assessment on our rescue boat, our facilities, maintenance and training regimes and operating procedures – all part of our journey to becoming an official Declared Facility. It was a very successful visit.
PLIRB Thanks
We attended the celebration of life for Bob Hayward and were immensely grateful for the donations made – over £800, an incredible amount, thank you to everyone who generously contributed.
Upcoming Events
29 March: Pett Slip Buoys singing at Beckley Village Hall Shanty Night, 7pm
23-26 May: PettFest is back! Your local beer festival at the Royal Oak. Live music, great beer and food.
21 June: Fairfest – we’ll be running the BBQ and the Pett Slip Buoys are singing.
Proud to serve. Proud to be PLIRB.
