Teddington RNLI Welcomes 2,000 Visitors – and 1,600 Ducks

A true community event, the day brought together Teddington restaurants, cafes, pubs and community groups. The duck race was jointly organised by Teddington RNLI and Teddington Together, a local group representing independent businesses and raised in excess of £4,000 which will be shared between the lifeboat station and the Christmas Lights Up event in November.

Stallholders on the day were Ruba Restaurant, Shambles Restaurant, The Wharf Restaurant, The Anglers Pub, Teddington Together, Teddington Society and Teddington Rotary. RNLI volunteers manned a water safety station, a photo booth, a theatrical makeup stall, souvenirs stall and the ever-popular cakes and biscuits tables in the boat hall. Crew members also undertook demonstrations of the lifeboats in action.

Emergency services, London Fire Brigade were present with two fire engines and members of the Water Safety Centre demonstrated the dangers that are specific to the Teddington weir. Local Metropolitan Police officers also visited to meet residents.

The Mayor of Kingston said, ‘What a great day! Teddington came out in droves to support their local traders and RNLI Lifeboat Station. The volunteers for this important charity do great life-saving work and I was delighted to share their special day.’

‘The duck race certainly brought our community and traders together and we were pleased to organise it alongside Teddington RNLI. We’re already planning for next year!’ said, Mel Franke of Teddington Together

Matt Allchurch, Lifeboat Operations Manager added, ‘We were blown away by our local community’s response. Our Open Day was all about engaging with them and letting them know about all that we do. Our volunteer crew was delighted to welcome them.’

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Notes to Editors:

· Teddington RNLI lifeboat station is one of five on the River Thames and is crewed and run entirely by volunteers

· The RNLI is a national charity solely funded by donations and legacies

· The RNLI is dedicated to saving lives at sea and on our rivers.

RNLI media contacts

For more information, please telephone Gianna Saccomani, RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 07798905515 or [email protected] or Grace Palmieri, RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 07855487508 or [email protected].

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI is the charity that 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 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. 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 146,700 lives.

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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.