2nd December 2021. The Chairman and Operations Director of Adventure Island visited NCI Southend to look around their new building.

Adventure Island has been a supporter and major contributor to the work of the NCI and took the opportunity to visit the National Coastwatch Station at Southend. Philip Miller, Executive Chairman of Adventure Island, together with his son James Miller, Operations Director, visited the NCI Station at Shoeburyness to look around the new building. The father and son team were shown the facilities of the Station by Station Manager Rodney Hyne-Jones and Training Officer John Disney.

The National Coastwatch Institution are also known as the “Eyes Along the Coast” and the NCI’s mission is to protect and preserve the lives of those using the coast and foreshore. Currently the station is in operation every weekend and Bank Holidays throughout the year and this will extend to include Mondays from January 2022. The bosses of Adventure Island are keen to help with extending the scope of the facility, however a shortage of volunteers is hampering further expansion. The NCI watch station at Shoeburyness is the only permanent land-based lookout over this part of the Thames Estuary. It has sophisticated monitoring systems as well as VHF radios and powerful binoculars and scopes. When an incident occurs or there is cause for concern for lives or vessels, the NCI contact HM Coastguard at Dover and if necessary, they will task the Southend Lifeboat to respond.

Emergencies that occur can affect windsurfers, swimmers, paddle boarders, horse riders and dog walkers, in fact anyone using the beach and the Thames Estuary around Southend. Anyone interested in joining NCI Southend can visit the station by prior arrangement. Full training is given and a VHF radio licence obtained.

Contact: rodney.hyne-jones@nci.org.uk