A 2,000-plus mile station-to-station flag relay to celebrate 30 years of coastal safety work has stopped in Burnham-On-Sea.
The station’s volunteer watchkeepers received the flag as part of the National Coastwatch Institution 30th anniversary celebrations.
The 5ftx3ft flag bears the names NCI’s watch stations. The relay started in Fleetwood, Lancashire, and will travel anti-clockwise to all 60 watch stations this summer.
The Burnham team met the flag when it arrived from Wales on Burnham jetty, pictured here. Chris Lemin received the flag and then took it to Minehead – the next NCI station on the relay.
The Burnham Coastwatch station is due to open later this year on the seafront near the jetty when lease negotiations with Somerset Council are expected to be concluded.
Stephen Hand, NCI Chair, said: “This year’s 30th anniversary is the ideal opportunity to put each station on the map and encourage even more people to join in and support us. We are very grateful to Sirius Insight for their sponsorship and support of our anniversary event. It’s part of a growing relationship and a shared philosophy and approach to improving public safety along our coastline.”
“The relay is about having some fun, raising awareness of our work and hopefully raise some vital funds as well. Volunteers Week is the perfect time to kick it off and help shine a spotlight on our volunteers and our lifesaving work as a part of the UK’s maritime search and rescue community.”
When the flag relay has been completed, the flag will be taken to Trinity House in London for a special commemorative event at the end of September.
