3rd July 2023.The mission of the National Coastwatch (NCI) is to assist in the protection and preservation of life at sea and along the coastline, including the coastal paths.

The following article appeared on the Lyme Online website and is reproduced with their kind permission:

“ Whilst technology helps HM Coastguard keep a watch on large shipping, the NCI focuses on inshore leisure activities, including small boats, kayakers, paddle boarders, swimmers, hang gliders and walkers. At NCI Lyme Bay, all the highly trained and accredited volunteer watchkeepers are recognised as an active and essential part of safety around the coast by their search and rescue partners, including HM Coastguard, UK Border Force, the RNLI and the emergency services. In 2014 Ofcom granted the NCI a national licence for exclusive use of channel 65 in support of its objectives, including radio checks and local weather updates. Additionally, watchkeepers provide a valuable information service to beach users and coast path walkers. This is particularly important along the Jurassic Coast, with the ever-present danger of cliff falls, changing tidal conditions, and the dangers of being cut off when the tide comes in.

Watchkeepers do not get directly engaged in effecting rescues. Rather, they keep ‘eyes on’ emerging incidents, liaising with our partners as appropriate, under the overall direction of HM Coastguard, whilst still maintaining a watch on the whole area, which is particularly important during the busy holiday season when there is an increase in incidents occurring.

The Burton Bradstock station at Hive Beach opened in 2010, and Charmouth in 2016. NCI Lyme Bay now has more than 90 volunteer watchkeepers keeping the stations operating year round during daylight hours. Nationally, NCI operates 59 stations with more than 2,600 volunteers.

As a charity, the NCI receives no funding and has to raise all its own funds to continue to operate. t currently costs about £13,000 a year to keep the two Lyme Bay stations open 364 days a year. There are no paid staff, so very penny raised goes towards operational costs.”

If you would liketo help NCI in its vital mission, please visit our website at www. nci.org.uk where you can find more information about our work, mhowvto donate or even join as a volunteer.

The photograph (courtesy of LymeOnline)shows the tiny NCI lookout in Charmouth.