By Isle of Wight Observer
Sandown and Shanklin Independent Lifeboat have received a grant of £19,707.30 from the Department for Transport for 2018/19.
This grant will help the charity to purchase a newer launch tractor to replace the current tractor which is reaching the end of its useful life.
Maintenance of this tractor is the charity’s largest yearly outgoing expense.
The grant will also assist us in purchasing a direction finding VHF radio and updated helmets fitted with internal radios.
All of these items will improve emergency response times.
Mark Birch, operations manager of the lifeboat said: ”The lifeboat station is grateful to the Department for Transport for such a significant grant. Raising this amount of money by normal fundraising means would normally take a number of years and this grant allows us to realise the benefits now”.
Isle of Wight Observer