The Bembridge Guild is a very active organisation with a membership of over 125 members. In addition to carrying out fundraising activities and looking after the RNLI shop based in the new Inshore Lifeboat Station, Guild members also provide "visitor" cover for the Offshore Boathouse and guides for the numerous school & youth group visits each year. Weekly talks & accompanied visits to the Offshore boathouse are provided for guests of the Bembridge Coast Hotel, where there is also a weekly raffle. Opening times for the shop & offshore boathouse are at the footer to each webpage.
The Guild meets monthly on the first Monday of each month at 14:30 in the Bembridge Methodist Church Hall. (The second Monday in January & May).
New members are always welcome; contact any of the Committee members shown below who will be delighted to tell you more about the Guild and how to join. There is a minimal annual subscription of £2.00.
Regular Coffee mornings are held in the Bembridge Village Hall - see dates below. Do come and join us from 10:00 onwards (finishes at 12:00).
Crew & Guild socials are run at least twice a year.
2017 Dates:
Key Committee members are as follows:
Chairman - John Gulliver (01983 873248) - bemguildadmin@btinternet.com
Vice-Chairman - Noel Stimson (01983 874204) - noel_stimson@btconnect.com
Hon Secretary - Lesley Gulliver (01983 873248) - bemguildadmin@btinternet.com
Hon Treasurer - Tim Woodcock (01983 872519) - tim.woodcock@uwclub.net
Volunteer Shop Manager - Di Hawes (01983 875296) - colineh01@supanet.com
School & Youth Visits, & Education - Deborah Meadows (01983 874408) - deborah.meadows@sky.com
Box Secretary - Sandra Beany
Membership Sec (& Flag Day Co-ordinator) - Chris Grant - christine990@btinternet.com
Warners Raffle Coordinator - Pam Young - pamelayoungiow@gmail.com
Boathouse Rota Coordinator - Laura Bowman - laura.bowman@virgin.net
Coffee Morning Coordinator - Ruth Horsman - brianandruth53@tiscali.co.uk
Press Officer - Ken Orchard (01983 873139) - ken.orchard@btinternet.com
Yellow Welly Week 2017 - by Ken Orchard
The week-long programme of activities at the Bembridge lifeboat station’s “Yellow WellyWeek” have been a huge success with the accent firmly on the issues of safety in the marine environment as well as fun and entertainment.
In support of the RNLI’s national “Respect the Water” campaign, the Bembridge lifeboat’s Coastal Safety team of Alan Doe and Colin Hawes put out the safety message to the visiting public with the main theme of how to react if you go into the water unexpectedly, particularly at this time of the year with the sea temperatures of only around 10 -12 degrees C.
The advice is not to panic but lie on your back with arms and legs outstretched in a ‘starfish’ form and float until the initial shock wears off before attempting to swim or call for help. Cold water shock makes you gasp uncontrollably and may cause you to breathe in water which can lead to drowning. Boat owners and users of lifejackets were also encouraged to bring their lifejackets along to be checked for worthiness – it’s surprising how many owners do not realise that their lifejackets would not function correctly when needed. Dog owners were reminded of the hazards of their pets getting into difficulties in the water and ‘Maisie’ the Labrador was on hand to model the dog buoyancy aid.
On the less serious side, there were a range of activities for children of all age groups, ranging from story-telling and dressing-up in junior lifeboat kit, drawing and colouring and “Rescuing Teddy, by throwing a safety line” in the boathouse and the popular “welly wanging” competition on the beach.
The winners of the competition were: Adults – Darren Atkinson, 12-17 years – Jude Atkinson, 7 – 11 years - Henry McDonald, 6 years and under - Alex McDonald.
Tuesday evening saw the exercise and demonstration launch of the all-weather lifeboat “Alfred Albert Williams” with around 350 visitors in the boathouse to watch the spectacle, followed with drinks and hot dogs provided by the Bembridge Lifeboat Guild in the Inshore Boathouse.
Over the course of the week it is estimated that there were around 1,200 visitors to the lifeboat station.
“Yellow Welly Week” was an outstanding success with potential lives saved as people learn to “Respect the Water”. Remember – if you are in difficulty or see anyone else in trouble on the coast or sea, then call 999 and ask for the COASTGUARD.