Thanks to Cllr Brian Harris for Ryde South West and Deputy Mayor for news concerning lifeguards for Ryde, Sandown and Shanklin. Ed
There have been rumours circulating around Ryde that the Royal National Lifeboat Institution has been awarded a contract by the Isle of Wight Council to run the lifeguard service on Ryde, Sandown and Shanklin beaches, although I understand that IWC are still in talks with the RNLI, and nothing has yet been signed.
There are fears that if the beaches become run by the RNLI, then services such as Ryde Inshore Rescue and Sandown and Shanklin Independent Lifeboat would effectively shut down because of funding problems, as the RNLI would bring its own fund-raising teams in.
IWC may well be unaware of the ramifications of their negotiations if they go with the RNLI.
Obviously the RNLI does a great job nationally with both lifeboats and lifeguards. However, its lifeguard service is seasonal (May – September), whereas the cover provided by the independent services, usually under the control of HM Coastguard, is 24 hours a day, all year round.
This amount of cover needs money, and if the RNLI siphons off significant amounts for its own lifeguards, there won’t be enough in the pot to pay for the independents. External funding could dry up, as many donors already assume that RIR are part of the RNLI.
If the RNLI does get the contract, Ryde could lose a lifeboat station that does so much more for the community – school and educational visits would be lost, as would winter and outside daytime cover in the Solent, while events like Ryde Regatta would no longer have RIR’s support or free marshalling.
The RIR crew even spent time in their tractor driving round in the snow this year helping the community. It would really be such a shame to lose all this – they have fought so hard to get where they are today, and have been awarded with the highest honour with the Queen’s Award.
I don’t think they’ll let Ryde’s station go without a fight!
