FOR many years, January has been the month in which Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) supporters all over the country mark SOS Day.
SOS Day has been a national focus on the vital life-saving work of one of Britain’s most-loved charities – and on the cost of keeping the organisation going.
It’s not just the volunteers who bravely man (and woman) lifeboats; it’s the engineers who keep the vessels going; the lifeguards who patrol our beaches; the volunteers who staff the charity shops; the tireless committee workers; the year-round fundraisers; and the volunteers and staff who go into schools and spread the word about sea and beach safety.
For example, in addition to 20 volunteer crew, including two female crew, the Looe Lifeboats team numbers about 45 people, including the souvenir shop, boathouse guides, fundraising team, tractor drivers and other shore-based volunteers.
This year, the RNLI will have a new national focus for the first time, to replace SOS Day: May Day, which, of course, takes place around May 1. This will be a momentous date for the team in Looe as well, for it marks the 150th anniversary of the founding of the service.
The town currenty has two inshore lifeboats, an Atlantic class called ’Alan and Margaret’ and D class called ’Ollie Naismith’ housed in a boathouse on Looe seafront.
To celebrate this anniversary, there will be a range of events throughout the year, starting from the official opening by South East Cornwall MP Sheryll Murray on Sunday, May 1, and culminating with a gala dinner on Saturday, October 8.
Through the year there will be a range of displays, including storyboards and crew kit through the ages in the crew room and boathouse. Details of all events, including the 2016 events calendar, will be shown on the Looe Lifeboats Facebook pages, as well as the Looe Lifeboats website, www.looe lifeboats. co.uk