March 01, 2020 - 1741 views
On the Patron's Day, March 1st, the RNLI has been paying tribute to Welsh supporters, who have followed the maxim of the patron saint of Wales St David in doing the ‘little things in life’ to help keep the RNLI charity afloat.
According to tradition, in his last sermon St David told his followers to ‘Do the little things’/ ‘Gwnewch y pethau bychain’.
The RNLI is facing the Perfect Storm with a dip in funds and more people being rescued than ever before.
From a couple from Llandudno forsaking anniversary gifts in lieu of a donation the RNLI to schoolchildren in Moelfre inviting the crew into school to reveal they were naming the guinea pigs Enfys and Kiwi in honour of village’s lifeboats, every bit helps.
In Llandudno, Allan Cuthbertson and his wife Cherie, life-long residents of Llandudno, recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. In lieu of presents they donated £350 to Llandudno, a gesture which was greatly appreciated by the volunteer crew.
The Moelfre crew were delighted to be invited into Ysgol Gymuned Moelfre to meet the cuddly pets and were touched by the gesture, which showed the children have such a close affinity with their lifeboats.
In Pwllheli, future crew members Lily and Noah Green whose father Andy serves on the crew came up with an innovative way to help raise funds towards the station’s new boathouse.
With the Shannon class lifeboat due to arrive later this year, the community launched an appeal to raise £50,000 and the young entrepreneurs quickly began making loom bands which they regularly sell to boost the fundraising drive.
Another young supporter is five-year-old Darcey Payne-Burgoyne, who regularly brings a smile to the faces of the Rhyl RNLI crew.
After a grueling training exercise, Darcey is often waiting for her ‘heroes’ on the slipway on their return with much needed supplies of cakes and biscuits. Darcey recently donated her pocket money to boost the £150,000 community appeal towards the station’s new Shannon class lifeboat.
Also supporting the Rhyl RNLI crew by making small gestures was Brenda Lycett who kindly gave up birthday presents in favor of donations to her favorite charity, resulting in a £100 cheque for the station.
Jenny Page touched volunteers in Barmouth when she decided to collect for the station during her wedding in lieu of presents. When she visited Barmouth to return the collecting box, the station’s treasurer was delighted to discover £450 had been collected.
To find out about the fantastic work of the RNLI and some of the many people who make a difference not just on St. David's Day but throughout the year, please visit https://rnli.org
