UK port operator ABP has given £100,000 to fund a new D-Class lifeboat to mark the 200th birthday of the RNLI.
The boat, being built at the RNLI’s Inshore Lifeboat Centre in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, will be named ABP One.
Henrik L. Pedersen, ABP’s CEO said: “Safety is of paramount importance to ABP and this is a value we share with the RNLI. We deeply value to work done by RNLI volunteers to save lives and raise awareness around water safety. I am proud to say that many of our colleagues are part of these lifesaving crews and we are delighted to be able to support their mission with the purchase of this new lifeboat.”
Jamie Chestnutt, Engineering and Supply Director, said: “The RNLI’s relationship with Associated British Ports is long-standing. I am delighted to see this partnership go from strength to strength with a continued focus on providing our crews with best-in-class facilities, as seen at Barry Dock’s new Lifeboat Station, the sharing of crucial water safety messaging, and now with a lifeboat, aptly named ABP ONE. It’s partnerships such as this that allow the RNLI to continue to save lives at sea.”
ABP will also drive awareness around water safety, which has included sharing stories of ABP colleagues who volunteer with the RNLI, running a water safety poster competition for families and distributing floating keyrings to mariners and colleagues.
