Hartlepool Brownies pay special visit to RNLI station to learn about sea safety

Hartlepool RNLI station mechanic Garry Waugh with eight-year-old Ciar Astley during the Brownies' visit to the Ferry Road boathouse. Pic: RNLI/Tom Collins.

Members of the 14th Hartlepool Brownies took a trip to the Hartlepool RNLI lifeboat station.

They met some of the volunteer crew members of the charity, which saves lives at sea.

Hartlepool RNLI volunteer crew member and Lifeboat Visits Officer Steve Pounder with some of the Brownies during their visit to the lifeboat station. Picture by RNLI/Tom Collins.

Volunteer lifeboat visits officer Steve Pounder gave a talk to the children about the RNLI and the work the charity does.

He then showed the group around the Ferry Road station, where they were about to take a close look at the in-shore and all-weather lifeboats, and see some of the kit the crew wear when they go to sea.

Mr Pounder was pleased to be able to deliver the talk, and give the children positive messages about staying safe in the water.

He said: “The Brownies showed a great deal of interest in the work of the RNLI and hopefully picked up some safety tips to be safe at the seaside or at sea.

“It was a pleasure to welcome them here and who knows, maybe one or two of them will be crew members here one day.”

The visit of the Brownies to the lifeboat station was part of a project the children are working towards.

The initiative aims to help them cope with any potential emergency situations in the future.

Brown Owl Karen Lee, the leader of the Brownies, said: “We all enjoyed our visit to Hartlepool RNLI, where we were made very welcome by station mechanic Garry Waugh and volunteer Steve Pounder.

“Sea safety is so important for everyone, and if our young Brownies can learn from a visit such as this it is very worthwhile.

“This visit forms part of the Duke of Cornwall Award that our members are working towards for coping with community emergencies.”