A charity coastal challenge has received support from an East Midlands business as it aims to raise more than £50,000 for Watersafe UK Search and Rescue Team (WUKSART) and the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI).
Imperial Commercials Van Centre, in Nottingham and Derby, will provide support vehicles as the challengers attempt to circumnavigate the British coastline in an inflatable boat over 10 days.
The Round Britain 999 Coastal Challenge will see a team of ten WUKSART members endeavour to sail the 1,999 miles of coastline in nine days, nine hours and nine minutes while raising awareness and funds for both charities.
The Volkswagen van centre is providing Transporter Kombi vans as the vehicles provide sufficient space to carry spare equipment and transport both crew members and the land-based support team.
Nigel Cobb team leader from WUKSART said: “We are not new to challenges or raising large amounts of money for charity but this is by far our most challenging project to date.
“We are delighted that Imperial Commercials Van Centres have come on board; without our sponsors we wouldn’t be able to attempt such a gruelling quest.”
The challenge will start and end at the RNLI headquarters in Poole and will follow a clockwise route around the coastline, stopping at nine RNLI lifeboat stations along the way. For each leg of the course there will be a crew of four on board a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB).Once out at sea the crew will be totally alone and self-sufficient.
David Starr, head of business at Imperial Commercials in Nottingham and Derby, is more than happy to support the challenge.
He said: “This is a major fundraising event for two amazing charities that put their own lives at risk to help others. The least we can do is provide vans to support the challenge.
“We are confident that the vehicles’ reliability will not let the team down and hope the weather will be kind to them. We would like wish them a safe trip.”
WUKSART is a voluntary search and rescue organisation operating within Derbyshire and the East Midlands. It provides response and support to the emergency services in situations such as water rescue, flood relief, adverse weather condition and missing people searches.
The RNLI operates a 24-hour lifeboat search and rescue service which aims is to save lives at sea. Many of its crew members are volunteers who respond to emergency calls at a moment’s notice. The RNLI has saved more than 139,000 lives since it was founded in 1824.
Picture caption: Left to right; Mat Komorowski and Adam Barrett from Imperial Commericals Nottingham handing over the Volkswagen Transporter to Jay Wright, Nigel Cobb, John Faulconbridge and Rodger Towers and Paul Duda on the backrow from WUKSART 999 Coastal Challenge.