RNLI head impressed by Newcastle lifeboat station

RNLI head impressed by Newcastle lifeboat station

14 March 2013

THE most senior lifeboat official in Britain and Ireland, RNLI Chief Executive Paul Boissier, paid his first visit to Newcastle station during a whistle-stop tour of the charity’s bases in Northern Ireland last week.

Mr. Boissier, a former Royal Navy

submarine and frigate commander who has been head of the RNLI since September 2009, arrived in Newcastle on Thursday, accompanied by Divisional Operations Manager Gareth Morrison and the charity’s

Community Fundraising Manager Sharon Pollock, who is also a member of the Newcastle crew.

He was greeted by Newcastle Deputy Launching Authority Joe Leneghan, accompanied by fellow Deputy Launching Authority Clifford Moorehead and lifeboat coxswain Mark Poland. He was shown around the station and chatted with a number of crew members.

The Chief Executive said he was very impressed with the organisation in Newcastle and was interested to hear of the station’s long history. There has been a lifeboat serving Dundrum Bay since 1825 and a vessel stationed at Newcastle since 1854. During that time a great many lives have been saved by the RNLI’s volunteers and boats of all sizes rescued.

Mr. Boissier spoke to crew members about the charity’s future plans, in particular the ongoing process of introducing more Shannon class rescue vessels, a powerful new all-weather lifeboat which, with a top speed of 25 knots, is almost 50 per cent faster than Newcastle’s current Mersey class vessel, Eleanor and Bryant Girling.

Crew and officials in Newcastle told Mr. Boissier of their hopes that a Shannon class lifeboat would be stationed in the town once the current boat had reached the end of its useful life.

Following his informal chat and tour, the RNLI Chief Executive went on to visit Kilkeel station.