12th April 2019.  Today was an auspicious day for the team members of Mablethorpe’s National Coastwatch Team. The 50 strong team of volunteers celebrated their 10th anniversary of watching over the beaches of the town, from their Watch station high up on Seaview Carpark.

 The team held an Awards ceremony at the local Community centre attended by Mr & Mrs Steve Palmer, Mayor and Mayoress of Mablethorpe and Sutton Sea Town Council. The Mayor generously awarded six team members their personal 10-year service awards and commemorative service pins. The six team members honoured were Mr A. Abbey, Mr. P. Eldridge, Mr. I. Hulse, Mr A.Mee, Mr. T. Richards and Mr J. Warren, watched by both serving and retired members

 National Coastwatch Institution Mablethorpe have stood watch over the beach for a total of 3654 days in the last 10 years, and throughout that time have identified a number of incidents, reporting them to Her Majesty’s Coastguard, and being the eyes along the coast. During the 10 years they have been open, they have been awarded The Queens’ Award for Voluntary Service, (the MBE for Voluntary Groups), and, the Queens Crystal Glass Award was on display at the Celebration. The station was described as “Lincolnshire’s best kept secret” by the Lord Lieutenant in 2013  

 The NCI Mablethorpe QAVS team, are part of the National Coastwatch Institution which is celebrating its 25th Anniversary. Opening their first station at Bass Point in Cornwall in 1994, the charity now boasts 54 stations up to Hornsea on the East Coast and Fleetwood/Rossall Point on the Irish Sea, all funded by voluntary public contributions and at No cost to the Government or Local Authorities. .

L to R: Mr A. Mee, Mr P. Eldridge, Mr A. Abbey, Mrs P. Palmer, Mr S. Palmer, thrMayor and Mayoress of Mablethorpe & Sutton on Sea, Mr T. Richards, Mr R. Druce, NCI Station Manager, Mr J. Warren, and Mr I. Hulse showing a total of 60 years of service to NCI and the Mablethorpe Community. 

(Photo K.Arthey)