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Updated:
April 23, 2009
Prince
Edward set to visit Burnham-On-Sea hovercraft station
 The
Earl of Wessex is set to visit Burnham-On-Sea's hovercraft station
on Friday (April 24th), marking the fifth anniversary since the
life-saving Spirit Of Lelaina rescue hovercraft went on service.
His
Royal Highness will be arriving at the seafront headquarters of
BARB, the charity that operates two life-saving rescue hovercrafts,
at around 2.50pm.
He
will meet a group of civic dignitaries, followed by BARB President
Neville Jones and BARB Chairman Mark Newman.
Local
schoolchildren will also be outside the hovercraft station to
cheer on the VIP guest on his arrival.
He
will meet volunteer crewmembers and hear about the work of The
Spirit Of Lelaina rescue hovercraft, which is named after five-year-old
Lelaina Hall who died on the mudflats in 2002.
The
Prince will also visit Burnham Coastguards, where he will hear
about the positive impact the hovercrafts have had in speeding
up rescues on the mudflats.
He
will also unveil a plaque at the hovercraft station, before walking
onto the seafront to watch a training exercise involving BARB's
second hovercraft, The Light Of Elizabeth.
"It
is a great honour to have such a high-profile visitor coming to
Burnham to see the work of our volunteers," said BARB Chairman
Mark Newman. "We
look forward to meeting the Prince and explaining the role we
undertake in helping to keep Somerset's coastline safe."
BARB
is a 16 year-old registered charity that has helped and rescued
over 200 people. The organisation is manned entirely by volunteers
and operates two rescue hovercrafts and an inshore rescue boat.
RELATED
LINKS:
Burnham-On-Sea
Hovercraft Web site
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