Lyme Regis Lifeboat Week beats weather and raises £33,000

Despite a soggy start on the first-day visitors, local residents and businesses helped to raise a colossal £33,000 from the Lyme Regis Lifeboat Week- with some donations still to come in.

The packed week of events was organised by the Lyme Regis and Charmouth Lifeboat Supporters together with a great deal of effort from members of the lifeboat crew.

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Participants of the fun run racing through Lyme Regis (Image: Richard Horobin)

Chairman of the supporters group, Ken Lavery said: “This is a magnificent result considering the weather. Our group of volunteers can take great pride in their contribution to a fabulous week. And of course, we are deeply grateful to those hundreds of people who donated to our charity throughout the week.

"I have had many people telling me how much they enjoyed the week and checking on the date of next year’s event which will start on July 27. The last event on the water was the bathtub race on Saturday evening, which was won by the local firefighters who came first despite having to answer a call to a small fire during the race.

"Members of their bathtub crew were taken ashore by the harbourmaster’s launch to get to the waiting fire engine. The RNLI’s Lyme Regis bathtub team came second."

One casualty of the weather was the display by the army’s Red Devils parachute team. But members of the team still visited the town much to the delight of children and adults alike.

A performance by the Eastern Promise belly dancers was also called off because of rain on the first day.

Just before the bathtub race, 55 children and adults took part in the swimming challenges.

For the second year running Pirate Day was a big success, and visits to the lifeboat to meet the crew aboard the vessel moored on the harbour pontoons were also very popular.

On a tasty note, the produce stall with many delicious items made by lifeboat volunteers, raised a record over £1,000 And the lifeboat crew sold 550 hot dogs during their barbecue on the harbour slipway.