19th April 2021. The volunteers at the National Coastwatch Station at Nare Point have received a generous donation from Sontay to help ensure they continue to operate throughout this year.
The NCI is a charity whose aim is to preserve and protect coastal users along the UK’s stunning, yet at times perilous, coastlines.As a charity, the NCI receives no public funding and relies on donations from the public and businesses. Unfortunately, like other NCI stations, the restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic meant that NCI Nare Point’s fundraising activities had to be curtailed.
To help sustain the important work the organisation does, Alan Braybrook, retired Business Development Director at Sontay and a watchkeeper at NCI Nare Point, reached out to his former company. Sontay, a leading manufacturer and supplier of control peripherals such as sensors and switches to the building controls industry, was delighted to help Alan, a much-loved ex-colleague and friend, and donated £250 to NCI Nare Point.
Alan commented: “We are recognised as a key voluntary organisation that instigates and assists with Her Majesty’s Coastguard and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in the Falmouth area. We are open seven days a week throughout the year. Despite being closed for three months during the initial lockdown, we logged around 14,000 shipping movements ranging from large commercial vessels, inshore fishing boats and leisure craft, through to kayaks and paddle boards. NCI Nare Point relies heavily on donations from walkers, supermarket collection days and local fundraising events. These have all been brought to a standstill due to the pandemic.”
Commenting on Sontay’s donation Don Garman, Station Manager at NCI Nare Point said: “On behalf of NCI Nare Point and our 61 volunteer watchkeepers and four trainees, may I thank you for the very welcome donation of £250 which was negotiated by your past employee Alan Braybrook. Alan qualified in the autumn as a watchkeeper and has proved to be a very welcome recruit to the team. The donation will, I can assure you, be put to very good use.”
Sontay’s donation to NCI Nare Point will help ensure the organisation weathers the storm of the pandemic, so that when families and sea-goers flock to the Cornish coast for spring and summer, NCI Nare Point will be there to keep everybody safe.