Beachley rescue station extention will help save lives
Posted in Beachley, Donation, News on November 12th, 2007 by admin – Be the first to comment
Digging the first sod. From left to right Arthur Burden (Chairman Burdens Group) Merv Fleming (SARA Beachley Station Chairman) Eddie Hayward (Chepstow Plant International) Peter Wischhusen (SARA Executive Fundraising Officer)
Work began today, Monday 12th November, on the long awaited Boathouse extension to the SARA (Severn Area Rescue Association) Chepstow Rescue Station. When the £300,000 project is complete it will enable this vital lifesaving organisation to keep its frontline rescue boats and emergency response vehicles under one roof. Thus improving emergency response times and equipment reliability as well as providing a purpose built classroom for community awareness of water safety on the dangerous river Severn and estuary.
The building contract has been awarded to a local building contractor G Hughes (Chepstow) Ltd part of Chepstow Plant International Limited with the national builders merchant Burdens providing materials at a substantial discount.
Peter Wischhusen, Executive Fundraising Officer for SARA said “It is great to see this essential project get underway. We are grateful to the contractors G Hughes (Chepstow) Ltd for providing charitable terms for the contract and to Burdens for their generous offer of materials well below market price. We are also grateful to all those individuals and organisations that have generously donated funds towards this development but we are however still in need of £120,000 to complete the project and I would appeal to businesses, community service clubs, social clubs and individuals to donate what they can in order that we can complete this lifesaving project without delay.”
Peter went on to say “We would also be grateful to receive donations of equipment, in particular an air conditioning unit for the drying room and lights and electrical fittings.”
SARA was actively involved in many rescues during the recent flooding in Gloucestershire and remains in full readiness for the next inevitable incident wherever this may occur throughout its area of operation stretching from SE Wales to the Midlands, its volunteer members are on call 24/7.
If you or your organisation would like to make a donation please send your cheque payable to: SARA BUILD ACCOUNT to The Lifeboat Station, Beachley, Chepstow, Monmouthshire, NP16 7HH or if you would prefer to present a cheque in person phone Peter Wischhusen on 01594 510349 01594 510349 who will make an appointment with you.
SARA wishes, once again, to thank Merv Fleming, of Merv Fleming Associates, for yet another year of support. Merv, for many years now, has supported the organisation in countless ways. Firstly, and most valuably to us, Merv has provided all of the First Aid Training, including Defibrillator and Oxygen Training to our Beachley crew members for at least the past 5 years, totally free of charge. This has saved the organisation thousands of pounds. In addition to this, Merv has made numerous donations of equipment to the organisation, totally unprompted, simply from being around the station and noticing the equipment that we are desperately in need of, or equipment that he can see would benefit us considerably. Last but not least, Merv has finally bitten the bullet and joined us as an operational crew member, bringing his wealth of experience to the organisation and to the benefit of our newer, lesser experienced members.
