6th December 2022. Volunteer watchkeepers of the National Coastwatch Institution will soon be keeping an even sharper lookout across the UK’s coasts, thanks to the success of a pioneering trial between HM Coastguard and the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI).

NCI volunteers have spent six months manning the lookout and sharing facilities with the Bembridge Coastguard Rescue Team at Beachfield Road, Bembridge. The trial was the first of its kind in the UK and was carried out to test the feasibility of the organisations working more closely together to enhance the monitoring of coastlines, particularly in the busy summer months. The concept was developed as part of the constant assessment of search and rescue services.

The photograph (courtesy of HM Coastguard) shows the two teams at Bembridge.