Lifeboat Appeal

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Thanks to the generosity of local people and businesses, an appeal for a lifeboat for Clacton has finished after taking RNLI fundraisers only 18 months to reach their target. It was originally planned to finish at the end of 2006.

The Clacton Lifeboat Appeal, which was launched in July 2004, aimed to raise Ł120,000* for a lifeboat to replace the existing Atlantic 75. However this amount was exceeded with Ł128,000 raised in total.

RNLI Appeals Manager Stella Dubbin said: “I am delighted that we have reached our target. Local businesses and people have been so enthusiastic and supportive in their giving. Thanks to all their hard work we will also have some additional money for equipment at the station.”

Contributors to the appeal included the Essex Masons through OrangeAid, Eastern Angles theatre group, Bottisham Beavers, Colchester Flower Group, Clacton Railway Club, Masons from Clacton and Brightlingsea, Clacton Carnival Association, Great Clacton branch of Barclays Bank and Rotaract Clacton.

Other special thanks go to the Clacton lifeboat station personnel and crew, RNLI Eastern Region fundraising branches and the artist Laurie Taylor who provided the bear designs for the pin badges. There were also collections held at Tendring District Council, Morrisons supermarket and Clacton Factory Shopping Village.

Building work at Martello Tower, for the new Clacton lifeboat station, is also due to start next week which will mean that both the D-class and Atlantic class lifeboats will be co-located on one site.

The RNLI’s Clacton Lifeboat appeal has received a huge boost of nearly Ł19,000 from the Essex Freemasons. The money was presented to the RNLI’s Clacton Appeal Chairman Stella Dubbin yesterday at the local lifeboat station.

The money comprised Ł15,000 from The OrangeAid appeal and Ł3,850 from local Clacton lodges.

A range of fundraising activities was held at 26 different Masonic locations in Essex over a weekend in June. Activities - many of which were sponsored - included a bus pull in Harlow, a balloon race, a marathon darts match (starting at 1,000,001), garden parties, sponsored bike rides, a car wash at Braintree and various sponsored walks including one from Frinton to Clacton Masonic centre.

The fundraising plan was to donate Ł25,000 towards the Southend lifeboat and any excess was planned for the Clacton Lifeboat Appeal.

Masons Event Co-ordinator Neil Beverley said: “As a result of a mega fundraising weekend the amount we raised was far more than we expected. Since the RNLI was also collecting for the Clacton Lifeboat Appeal we planned for the excess to go to them.
“I am delighted that our charity work will support saving lives at sea. “

RNLI Clacton Appeal Chairman Stella Dubbin said: “The amount that they have raised is amazing - thanks to all their hard work we are nearer to reaching our target.”

31/10/2005 Mel Winger (Press Office)

The Clacton Lifeboat Appeal now stands at Ł96,000.00.

On 20 July 2005, Stella Dubbin, Senior Fundraising Manager for the Clacton Lifeboat Appeal, reported that the fund had now reached Ł96,000. This is way ahead of expectations and shows the tremendous amount of support the fund has received in the last 13 months.

28/07/2005 Mel Winger (Press Office)

The main improvements over the Atlantic 75 are:-

Ability to carry a 4th crew member
Provision of radar
Speed of 35 knots
More room for casualties

The design is being developed in close consultation with the crews and Coast staff

The first production boats are being produced now and will be operational in 2005

The 4-stroke engines are superior in performance, with better acceleration throughout the rev range and significantly better fuel consumption than the equivalent 2-strokes

FIB1 will out-accelerate an Atlantic 75

The engines will be fully inversion proofed

Trials have confirmed that the boat’s handling is very similar to the A75, very safe and predictable with no dangerous traits

Construction is foam cored composite, no wood is used in the structure

Radar performance is very good even in rough conditions

Atlantic 85 Specification

Length Overall 8.3m

Beam Overall 2.8

Draught (engines raised) 0.5

Draught (engines down) 0.9

Displacement (full fuel and equipment, no crew) 1.8 t

Outboard Engines 2 x 115hp Yamaha 4-stroke

Speed 35 knots

Endurance 2.5 hours

Crew 4

Fitted with Radar, Chart Plotter, VHF/DF

1st Bottisham Beavers

Members of the 1st Bottisham Beavers paid a visit to the station to present a cheque from Ed Rank for Ł500.00

Long distance swimmer Tom Gunning completed a sponsored swim of Lake Windermere raising Ł513.46.

Pat and Alan Markham of the Ship at Great Clacton donated Ł100.

Oakwood Infants School from Clacton presented Ł294.38 from their Harvest Festival by way of thanks for a visit to the lifeboat station earlier in the year.

Clacton’s Edinburgh Woollen Mill shop held a fashion show and raised nearly Ł300.

27/08/2004 Mel Winger (Press Office)

Saturday 24 July 2004 saw the launch of the Clacton Lifeboat Appeal. The idea is to raise Ł120.000 pounds to replace the Atlantic 75 lifeboat with the RNLI's latest fast inshore rescue boat. The new boat is faster at 35 knots, can carry a spinal injury board and an extra crewman, a great help when searching for someone in the water. The appeal launch was made by Sarah Halls of Eastern Region on the pier infront of a small crowd with local MP Ivan Henderson and Tendering Council Chairman Christine Turner adding their support. Ł10.000 has already been raised and donations are coming-in steadily, including Ł150 from an annonimous doner at the launch.