East Lindsey District Council has become the first local authority in the north of England to join forces with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) to provide lifeguards on its beaches.

The RNLI already provides lifeguards on more than 100 beaches in the south west of England, Norfolk and Wales and from this summer will take over the responsibility for patrolling beaches at Mablethorpe, Skegness and Sutton on Sea.

Matt Horton, RNLI Divisional Lifeguard Inspector, said:

‘The RNLI’s aim to provide a seamless rescue service from the beach to the open sea is being realised on this stretch of Lincolnshire’s coast, thanks to the forward-thinking local authority. We are delighted that East Lindsey District Council has taken steps to bring the RNLI’s quality lifeguard training and equipment to its beaches, enabling us to make a significant difference in terms of safety.

‘In 2008, RNLI lifeguards assisted more than 10,000 people at the seaside. With beaches becoming more crowded, patrolling lifeguards get to casualties faster which helps us to save even more lives. We are confident that by continuing and improving the lifeguard service in East Lindsey, the RNLI can not only help save lives but can prevent incidents from happening.’
 
Councillor Dick Edginton, East Lindsey District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Amenities, said the council is delighted to be working with an internationally respected organisation such as the RNLI to provide its beach lifeguard service.

He added: ‘Beach safety is an area that we take very seriously as a council.  Each year we have thousands of visitors flocking to our coast to enjoy our Blue Flag Award winning beaches and to make the most of our wonderful towns.  Working in partnership with the RNLI will enable us to improve our beach safety service and make everyone visiting out beaches feel even safer.  This agreement will produce an enhanced service at a reduced cost to the taxpayer.’

East Lindsey District Council currently employs around 14 lifeguards on its busiest beaches for the 15 week high season, running from May until September.  The RNLI will provide a like for like service and will be liaising with those employees as the recruitment programme gets underway.
 
The lifeguard posts will be funded by East Lindsey District Council, while the extensive training and equipment needed by the lifeguards will be paid for by the RNLI. As a charity which depends on voluntary contributions and legacies for its income, the RNLI will be relying on the continued support of the public to help fund this new venture.

Lifeguards interested in working for the RNLI should log onto www.rnli.org.uk/jobs for more information.

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Picture caption
RNLI lifeguards in action. Credit RNLI

RNLI media contacts
For more information, contact Alison Levett, RNLI Media Relations Manager, North, on 01642 750585 or 07786 668912 or at alevett@rnli.org.uk or James Gilbert, East Lindsey District Council Communications Manager on 01507 329583.
 
RNLI online
For more information on the RNLI please visit www.rnli.org.uk. News releases and other media resources, including RSS feeds, downloadable photos and video, are available at the RNLI Press Centre www.rnli.org.uk/press

Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates over 230 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and has more than 100 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824 its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 137,000 lives.

A charity registered in England and Wales (209603) and Scotland (SCO37736). Charity number CHY 2678 in the Republic of Ireland.