RNLI long service medals for four volunteers

FOUR volunteers at Beaumaris lifeboat station have received long service medals from the RNLI.

Due to the Covid 19 pandemic these could not be presented in a formal occasion. The volunteers honoured are Gareth

Parry, Mike Stone, Simon Bunting and John Pulford.

Gareth has completed 48 years with the lifeboat originally as crew and emergency mechanic on the All-Weather Lifeboat which was withdrawn from service in 1991. He was a helm on the Blue Peter II Inshore Lifeboats, being one of the earliest lifeboat men to receive a Gold Blue Peter badge. He is currently a Deputy Launching Authority at the station. In the course of his time with the RNLI he has been the recipient of two bravery awards. He has been a RNLI Standard bearer for 35 years, displaying the standard on many occasions including at St David hall Cardiff for a Remembrance Day service where he represented all the Welsh stations. One of his proudest memories is carrying the Queen Mother’s Standard in a Remembrance Day service at Albert Hall in London in front of Her Majesty the Queen when he represented all the UK stations.

Mike has completed 43 years with the lifeboat initially as crew and then full-time mechanic on the All-Weather Lifeboat. He was the senior Helm on the Inshore Lifeboat. Mike has been a guest at two of the Queen’s garden parties at Buckingham Palace. In 1999 he was at the 100th birthday parade around London for the Queen Mother. His current role is as a Deputy Launching Authority at the station.

In the course of his service he has been the recipient of two letters of thanks from the RNLI in recognition of his contribution during difficulty services.

Simon is the youngest of the group having completed 31 years’ service again starting as crew on the All-Weather

Lifeboat and is currently the Inshore Lifeboat Station Mechanic as well as being a Helm of the current Atlantic 85 lifeboat. Simon has also received two letters of thanks from the RNLI in recognition of his contribution during difficulty rescues. He is a full time Assessor Trainer for the RNLI.

John has completed 41 years as a volunteer being a fund raiser, shore crew including launch vehicle driver, youth education officer, lifeboat press officer and visitor coordinator for the station.

The RNLI is looking for volunteers to support the team at Beaumaris including lifeboat boat crew members, shore crew and launch vehicle drivers, launching authorities as well as Shop volunteers.