Herald - Issue 408

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Solent Rescue was formed 50 years ago in 1971 by auxiliary coastguards as a beach rescue unit in response to a rising level of incidents in and around Lepe Country Park following increased numbers of visitors each year. e founders wished to address the dangers present in and around Stone Point including very strong currents, a shale spit and Gull island (both of the latter are only visible at low tide with middle sections becoming submerged rst thus leading to people getting cut o by the returning water). Over time the unit transformed into an additional lifeboat service to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to provide a SAR service to the many thousands of mariners that use the Western Solent each week in the summer. e unit does not respond to pagers like the other RNLI and independent Lifeboats around the Solent (of which there are 6 RNLI stations and cruise liners & cargo vessels, ferries & fast catamarans and even paddle boarders & windsurfers, they can be called upon to assist all manners of people and animals that may need them when they least expect it. Solent Rescue have also evolved the beach rescue part of the unit to provide the rst aid cover for the Country Park. Last year the park recorded approximately half a million visitors, due to the stay local guidance from the Government. Solent Rescue is one of 241 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. e number of nominations remains high year on year, showing that the voluntary sector is thriving and full of innovative ideas to make life better for those around them. e Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by volunteer groups to bene t their local communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate e Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Recipients are announced each year on 2nd June, the anniversary of e Queen’s Coronation. Later this summer Solent Rescue will receive the award crystal and certi cate from Nigel Atkinson Esq, Lord- Lieutenant of Hampshire who says: “Outstanding volunteer groups across Hampshire all too often go without recognition for the truly amazing work they do, despite the vital part they play in helping bind our communities together. It’s a great pleasure to celebrate the efforts of all of this year’s winners of The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, Acts of Kindness, SERV, Wessex, Portsmouth Down Syndrome Association and the Solent Rescue Independent Lifeboat, and to help raise awareness of all they do for the benefit of others.” Wayne Monks, Solent Rescues Press O cer says: “We are delighted to receive this award that highlights the high standards that our charity works towards. Solent Rescue turns 50 this year so it’s even more fitting that we have been awarded this prestigious award and would like to thank Councillor Alexis McEvoy for nominating us for the award” On hearing about the award Councillor McEvoy stated: “This is wonderful news and the award is so well deserved. There aren’t many nominations that succeed at the first attempt. This just shows how very special Solent Rescue and all the volunteers are at Lepe on the Solent.” 7 Independent Stations), they instead look a er the water at busy times operating weekend and bank holidays from Easter until September 8am till 5pm (later if needed), awaiting a call over vhf radio. ey also operate in line with any large- scale event that is planned outside these times. Due to the way they operate, they are o en able to respond to an incident faster than other stations that need to be paged as they are normally on the water training or at the station with the vessels at anchor o Lepe beach. The team operate 2 inshore boats, an Arctic 24 and an ex RNLI D class. Although they are independent, they work closely with all other units around the area to provide safety cover to one of the busiest commercial and leisure waterways in the UK (If not the world). With everything from Rescue volunteers responding to a call-out on the Solent