Our second post pandemic meeting back at The Bacchus Hotel had an unusually busy programme with two speakers (one scheduled, one opportune) and the induction of a new member.
Tom Freeman from Mablethorpe RNLI
Our First speaker was Tom Freeman who has been volunteering for the Mablethorpe RNLI for over 40 years. Tom is a Senior Helmsman, meaning he is in charge of the vessel, and also a Deputy Launching Officer, meaning he has the authority to decide when the boat can be launched.
Many callouts involve rescuing children who are in trouble or individuals who are attempting to commit suicide and often reluctant to be rescued. It’s all the more impressive that the team who go out on these dangerous and emotionally charged calls have little time to ‘decompress’ but rather rush straight back to their paid jobs.
Thankfully, Tom also had plenty of amusing anecdotes showing the lighter side of the occupation. They tend to start with someone buying a boat and heading out to sea to navigate the coast back to their home – with no idea of what that involves.
We look forwards to taking Tom up on his invitation to tour Mablethorpe’s Lifeboat Station in the near future.
Talk from Jim Morton
Jim Morton is fulfilling an ambition to walk the coastline of the UK with his wife Sue providing support and accommodation via their motorhome. It just so happened they were having a rest day in the area, so we invited them to have a meal with us and tell us about the adventure.
Jim left his house in Penistone near Sheffield on the 12 of April 2021 and walked to Widnes which became the starting point for what he expected to be a 400 day walk (including 50 rest days) during which he would cover around 7,500 miles.
Travelling clockwise around Britain, Jim also chose to include all the islands for which there is a land bridge – not a trivial undertaking given that navigating the Isle of Skye added 28 days alone.
Having previously served in the Royal Navy alongside Gurkhas, Jim decided to raise funds to benefit them during the walk. An impromptu whip round amongst our members apparently put him just over £13k, enough to build two (much needed) houses in Nepal.
You can follow Jim’s progress on his Facebook Page I May Be Gone A While
You can support Jim’s fundraising via his JustGiving Page.
Welcome Rotarian Ann Brocklehurst
The club was delighted to induct Ann Brocklehurst, our first new member in 2022.
Ann has recently moved to the area from Chesterfield after a varied career encompassing roles in the Civil Service and NHS as well as running a business transfer agency.
We look forwards to getting to know Ann and working alongside her to achieve Rotary goals.