Ballycommon Ladies' donation to Lough Derg RNLI

Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat recently recieved a generous donation from the members of Ballycommon Ladies Club.

All of the volunteers at Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat would like to thank Breda Flannery, Chairperson, and Kathleen Maloney, vice-Chairperson, of the Ballycommon Ladies Club, and their members, for chosing the RNLI Lifeboats as the named charity for their fundraising efforts this year.

On September 12, at their first meeting of the year, Eleanor Hooker, Volunteer helm at Lough Derg RNLI, gave a talk about the lifeboats to the Ballycommon Ladies Club. Eleanor spoke to the group about training, the nature of callouts on Lough Derg and the costs for the RNLI charity in running a station. She also demonstrated the kit the crew wear on the boat.

At the Thatched Cottage, October 10, Mrs. Maloney presented Niamh McCutcheon, Chairperson of the Lough Derg RNLI, with a cheque on behalf of the Ballycommon Ladies Club. Mrs. McCutcheon spoke to the group of the fundraising activities of her committee on behalf of the lifeboats. Liam Maloney, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Lough Derg Lifeboat, also spoke to the group and thanked them for their support, saying 'fundraising efforts on behalf of the lifeboats ensures it continues to provide it's vital lifesaving services'.

The RNLI is a charity that saves lives at sea and on inland waterways. It provides a ring of safety around the coastline of the island of Ireland and the UK, and on inland waterways, with the objective - to end preventable loss of life on the water. It is no exaggeration to say that everything volunteers and staff do to achieve this, is done in the spirit of being selfless, dependable, trustworthy and courageous.  95% of RNLI people are volunteers, be it boat crew, shore crew or fundraisingvolunteers. In 2017 RNLI lifeboats on the island of Ireland launched 1,088 times and assisted 1,471 people. In 2017 it costs €544,000 per day to run the RNLI.

Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat Station is looking to recruit new volunteers.  No previous boating experience is required, training is provided, to the highest standard.  If you are interested in becoming involved in your local lifeboat station please do come down to the station (located on the grounds of Lough Derg Yacht Club in Dromineer) any Sunday morning from 9.30am, or contact us at 087 2514517; we'd love to hear from you.