Organised by the Local Lifeboat Guild, the annual ‘Pimms Party’ is to raise funds for the benefit of the Burnham Lifeboat Station and will take place on Sunday 29 August 2010 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm.

This event has always been not only a huge success but a lovely way to spend a warm, sunny evening among friends.

Our hosts this year are Perry and Martine Wilson and the party will be held in their garden at Quay House, Kings Court, Burnham.

Entrance, which includes the first glass of pimms is £3.00.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Burnham on Crouch Lifeboat Station is hosting an unusual event in aid of the Floating Boathouse Appeal.

The superb Jazz band known as ‘Neptunes Bodyguard’ (slang for ‘The Royal Marines or Ships Marines’), will be playing at Belvedere House, Belvedere Road, Burnham on Crouch on Saturday the 10 July from 7:30pm.

The event is being held to raise funds for the Floating Boathouse Appeal and is expected to be a sell out.

Claire Rawlinson, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer said, ‘the idea is that those wishing to attend arrive in the afternoon with a picnic table, chairs and gazebo and set up in the garden. Later on, they return with a picnic or three course meal – which ever they choose, and listen to the stunning sounds of this outstanding jazz band in the lovely setting of Belvedere House.

It’s an unusual event and like nothing we’ve done before but so far it’s proving to be extremely popular and tickets are selling fast.

To add a sense of occasion to the evening, there will be a prize for the best dressed table and black ties are optional!’

Tickets for this exclusive event are £20 each and are available from One Place in Burnham High Street or Jacaranda Florists in Station Road, Burnham.

For thirty years, Arthur Edwards has photographed the Royal Family for ‘The Sun’ Newspaper.

He’s been there for some of the most memorable and poignant times, catching both intimate portraits and more candid shots when protocol and the mask of duty slips to reveal the true personalities behind the famous faces.

He has seen the Royal Family evolve and change throughout the years and has a wealth of knowledge and stories, both funny and emotional which he will be sharing in an exclusive event to be held at St Peter’s High School, Burnham on Crouch.

Mr Edwards, a friend of Burnham on Crouch RNLI’s Floating Boathouse Appeal Patron Ray Clark, has agreed to hold ‘An Evening with Arthur Edwards’ on the 24 March 2010, with proceeds going to the appeal.

He’ll be chatting about his experiences and travels with the Royals, including Princess Diana and Prince Charles, Princes William and Harry and the Queen and Queen Mother. He was awarded the MBE by the Queen for services to journalism & was then asked by her a week later why he wasn’t wearing it!

Claire Rawlinson, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer said ‘We are honoured that Arthur has offered to give up his time to come and tell us his stories. He has a wealth of knowledge and a fantastic insight into the Royal family that the general public never see. We’re thoroughly looking forward to it!’

Tickets are £5 each and can be purchased on the door and at Jacaranda, 153 Station Road, Burnham. Doors open at 7:30 for an 8:00pm start but please arrive early to avoid disappointment.

Getting out on the water is about having serious fun.

The RNLI is a registered charity that saves lives at sea, operating 235 lifeboat stations around the coast of the UK and Republic of Ireland.  It continues to rely on voluntary donations and legacies to meet the cost of the crew’s essential training, equipment and lifeboats.

The RNLI also saves lives without launching a lifeboat – it gives advice. The charities new campaign is called Serious Fun! aimed at everyone who goes out on the water. It encourages individuals to enjoy their chosen watersports to the maximum, but to take their fun seriously by raising skill levels and staying safe. Serious Fun! – enjoy some Serious Fun! with the RNLI.

The DVD is packed full of practical tips and advice, it features 11 short films – each is dedicated to a different watersport and aimed at all levels of skill and experience.  Serious Fun! includes something for all watersports enthusiasts. There are films on yachting, sea angling, dinghy sailing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, large and small powerboating, diving, waterskiing and wakeboarding and personal watercraft; along with a top tips, lifejacket clinic films and a film about the RNLI and how to support the charity that saves lives at sea.

To find out more about Serious Fun! and to order your FREE copy visit  www.rnli.org.uk/seriousfun or call 0800 543 210.

Customers at the Queens Head Public House in Providence, Burnham on Crouch have once again raised over £1,400 for the RNLI, smashing last years total.

The generous patrons of the popular pub have raised funds both for the main RNLI charity and the Burnham Floating Boathouse Appeal – a local appeal for a new boathouse to house a new Lifeboat due on station in 2011.

Money making endaevours have included the usual collection box prominently situated on the bar and the Lucky Lifeboat Station Competition.

Pictured, presenting the Burnham RNLI ‘Top Box’ trophy are Jim Morton, Landlord of the Queens Head and Walter Jenkins, Treasurer of Burnham on Crouch RNLI.

Burnham On Crouch Lifeboat station are really making waves at the Tullett Prebon London International Boat Show where members of the volunteer crew are really pushing the boat out in a bid to raise money for their floating boathouse appeal.

The RNLI station has secured a prime position next to the main stage at the 10-day show at the ExCel centre and on the opening day the station was invited to give a presentation in front of the audience about a novel way of raising money for the appeal.

The added bonus was that the volunteers had a brilliant position to watch X Factor finalists Olly Murs and Stacey Solomon!

The lifeboat station had battled through the severe weather to bring a refurbished boat to the stand inside the centre. £800, donated by the Marine Trading Association, was spent on buying the Hunter 19 Barangoola and the aim was to make the boat look as good as new on a £5,000 budget and show that boating is an affordable hobby for most people.

Every day of the boat show the lifeboat station has a team of helpers who are selling £5 raffle tickets and the winner, who will be drawn on 17 January, will receive the boat and several other prizes, including £400 of RYA training vouchers, lifejackets and wet weather gear.

David Lewin, a Burnham resident and mastermind behind the project, told the show: ‘I had a dream and that dream was that anybody could go boating without spending a lot of money. It just takes some dedication.’

The lifeboat station has raised over £45,000 towards the £130,000 appeal in only a few months and Roger Noble, Burnham’s chairman, said: ‘I am so proud of what has been achieved so far at the lifeboat station and we hope to raise a lot of money through the raffle at this boat show.’

Dick Rycroft, Lifeboat Operations Manager, added: ‘Burnham is buzzing at the moment and this boathouse appeal has brought everybody together.’ The RNLI also has a stand (N19D) at the show.

Credit to Richard Smith RNLI Divisional Media Relations Manager for the East and Kent

The volunteer crew at Burnham on Crouch RNLI lifeboat station are using their lifesaving skills on an unusual casualty – they’re fixing up an abandoned sailing boat to raise money for the Boathouse Appeal.

The Hunter 19 Barangoola is being restored to her former glory by local crew members and will be raffled at the Tullett Prebon London International Boat Show in January 2010 to raise money for the station’s Floating Boathouse Appeal.

The Boating on a Budget Project is the brainchild of David Lewin, a former President of the British Marine Federation and resident of Burnham on Crouch. David has always enjoyed sailing and is extremely keen to encourage more people, of all ages, to take up the activity.

Speaking about the project, he said: ‘The plan is to promote safe, enjoyable boating on a budget, primarily to the starter market as these are the people we need to attract to the sport and at the same time raise money for the Boathouse Appeal at Burnham on Crouch RNLI.’

With a little TLC and a lot of elbow grease, the crew aim to get Barangoola shipshape. The equipment and fittings are being donated by the companies that make them or funded by donations from the public. Without these donations the repairs would cost in the region of £5,000.

Dick Rycroft, Lifeboat Operations Manager, said: ‘We’re having a lot of fun with it. We’ve stripped the fittings and taken I don’t know how many layers of paint off. She’s been resprayed and we’ve now got to reconstruct the interior.’

Visitors to the Tullett Prebon London International Boat Show will not only be able to inspect the crew’s handiwork when Barangoola goes on display, they’ll also have the chance to become the boat’s new owner. Raffle tickets to win the 19ft sailing boat will be sold for £5 each, with all the proceeds going towards the Floating Boathouse Appeal.

As the Barangoola is aimed at people new to the sport, the prize will also include a copy of the RNLI’s Sea Safety: The Complete Guide and a SEA Check by the RNLI’s sea safety volunteers who will help the new owners stay safe when they go out on the water.  Lifejackets, waterproof clothing and RYA training vouchers will also be given away with the boat.

Efforts to raise money for Burnham’s new floating boathouse have been stepped up after the fundraising target rose from £50,000 to £130,000 when the value of a legacy from an anonymous donor covering the majority of the cost decreased due to the current economic climate.

To find out more about the Boating on a Budget project click here

Twenty young ladies, including a few wives and girlfriends of Burnham on Crouch Lifeboat Station Volunteer Crew members, have taken part in a photo shoot to help create the ‘Burnham RNLI Calendar Girls’.

Phoebe Tunbridge-Steeds, an electrician at Bradwell Power Station and friend of the local stations crew members, is running the 2010 Virgin London Marathon in aid of the RNLI. To raise money, she and a few of her very brave friends decided to create the calendar. All the models are local girls and the wives and girlfriends were also happy to help out.

Phoebe said “The idea came about after a conversation at work with a colleague in early November and by the time the venues and photographers Lewis Walsh and Ryan Stripe, were sorted out it was a few weeks later.

The calendars were so much fun to make and include wives and girlfriends of the crew – and even a female crew member! The pictures were all shot on location in Burnham so there are a few places people will recognise. I’m really grateful to all my friends for putting in their time and effort to help raise money for such a great cause. Most of the pictures were taken outside, so as you can imagine it was very cold!”

The calendars are on sale for £10 each and if you would like to get your hands on a copy, they are available at the following locations in Burnham on Crouch …

The Queens Head, Providence

The Ship Inn, High Street

Videoland, Station Road

Jacaranda, Station Road

Marine Store, Burnham Yacht Harbour

Trackside Fitness, Station Ind. Est, Station Approach

Volunteer Lifeboat Crew and Guild members are preparing to step up their fundraising efforts following the news that the target for the Floating Boathouse Appeal has been increased from £50,000 to £130,000.

The RNLI were relying on a legacy from an anonymous donor to fund the majority of the cost of the new boathouse, however with falling values on stocks, shares and property the estimated value has decreased substantially.

Walter Jenkins, Burnham Lifeboat Treasurer and Chair of the Appeal said, “This is a direct consequence of the current economic climate. The sale of property and stocks and shares did not realise as much as had been hoped for. The Appeal Target has been increased to £130,000 but we are exremely grateful to the local community for the wonderful support that we have received so far.

The total amount received is £23,407.15 with another £10,700.00 pledged from the skydive and other events and we would ask everyone to continue to support the fundraising initiatives. The crew have been very busy this year and we wish to be able to maintain this high level of support to the local community and those who use the River Crouch and neighbouring waters which the new Atlantic 85 Lifeboat with the facilities of the new boathouse will give us.”

If you have any fundraising suggestions or ideas, please email us via the Contact page.

Burnham on Crouch Volunteer RNLI Lifeboat Crew are thrilled to have won the prestigous ‘Best Float in Show’ award for their entry in this years Burnham Carnival.

The float was based around the Floating Boathouse Appeal and featured eight ‘mini Lifeboats’ – all named after the current ‘Brandy Hole ‘Atlantic 75 and ‘Ernest & Rose Chapman II’ IB1 Lifeboats.

Designers and builders of the float, Heath Puxley and Dave Terry, both crew members, worked tirelessly for a week on the float, exchanging evenings in with the family for late nights spent painting and drilling to make it the best Lifeboat float ever!

To see video footage of the crew having fun click here