Council Chair announces RNLI stations on Lough Erne as his chosen charity

Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor John McClaughry, has announced the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) stations on Lough Erne as his chosen charity for his term in office.

Each year the Council Chair has the privilege of choosing a charity to promote during their term to help highlight the good work being done by the charity and raise their profile.

The Chair made the announcement at a recent reception to mark the 200^th anniversary of the RNLI which was established in 1824 as a charity to saves lives at sea.  The aim of the RNLI is to work together with partners and the community to educate, influence, supervise and rescue those at risk of drowning.

Speaking about his chosen charity, Councillor John McClaughry, said:

“With the Vast expanse of waterways in the District and the popularity of water recreation activities, we are fortunate to have two RNLI Stations – one at Killadeas and one at Carrybridge.

The stations are operated by approximately 50 management and crew who are all volunteers.  The crews show great levels of courage and heroism every time they go out on a rescue mission.  The selflessness and commitment they show is to be truly admired and is very much appreciated.

I look forward to supporting our local RNLI to promote their events and activities, highlight the vital work the crews do in sometimes very challenging conditions and raise awareness of the importance of being safe in water.”

Speaking on behalf of the two RNLI stations on Lough Erne, Stephen Scott, Lifeboat Operations Manager, said:

“We can’t thank Councillor McClaughry enough for highlighting the service we provide to everyone who has a connection with our large expanse of waterways. From the farmers and homeowners surrounding the lake to those who enjoy being on it in various types of craft we want to assure everyone that if you see someone in trouble or are in difficulties yourself to please contact the Coastguard on 999. We would much prefer to get to a situation early rather than arrive when it is too late. Lough Erne is a stunning river system which we want everyone to enjoy safely.”

In addition to responding to rescue missions, the crews undertake extensive training once a week to maintain the service.  An important focus of their work is delivering water safety programmes in schools and community groups as well as regular life jacket clinics to help people to be prepared and stay safe in the water.

The RNLI works closely with the other Emergency Services including the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) and Mountain Rescue.  They also work with the Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) on various initiatives including their educational BeeSafe campaign.