CELEBRATIONS AS HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCESS ROYAL VISITS THE NATIONAL COASTWATCH STATION FLEETWOOD
Volunteers had an extra special day on Tuesday 16th April 2024 when HRH The Princess Royal visited Fleetwood, Lancashire.
Volunteers had an extra special day on Tuesday 16th April 2024 when HRH The Princess Royal visited the National Coastwatch station and Marine Hall.
HRH The Princess Royal is Royal Patron of the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI), a charity run entirely by volunteers. This year it celebrates its 30th anniversary of helping to save lives around the coast. It is the Princess Royal’s fourth visit this year to an NCI station and NCI Fleetwood is one of 60 around the coast. It is also one of the most northerly stations of the charity and the only one in Lancashire, overlooking the extensive sandbanks of Morecambe Bay, with views across to Heysham, Barrow in Furness and the Lake District.
Her Royal Highness was briefed on the coastal risks at Fleetwood and the work of the volunteers, who have been involved in 22 casualty-related incidents in the past 12 months. With more people than ever enjoying coastal activities such as walking, kayaking, windsurfing and cold-water swimming, NCI Fleetwood and other stations provide an essential safety service.
After visiting the station, The Princess Royal attended a reception at Fleetwood’s Marine Hall, attended by around 25 NCI watchkeepers, as well as NCI Trustees and guests from the local community.