RNLI Supporter buys a second lifeboat for Hayling.

- Thu 19th May 2005

 
Life saving efforts will be boosted by  a new lifeboat, donated by an Ashtead woman and named after her three grandchildren.

Betty Battle has been a supporter of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) for many years and has now funded her second boat for Hayling Island.

Betty, first joined the  Ashtead branch of the RNLI in 1975.

She said: "A lifeboat magazine comes round and when you read about some of the things the crew have to do, your hair stands on end."

In 1995, she donated the money so a D class lifeboat could be purchased, which can travel up to 20 knots and has a structure made from Marine Plywood.

The boat was named after her and she described the moment as "a real thrill" when she saw her name emblazoned on the side.

Describing how she came to buy the boat, she said: "My husband came home one day and said he had set up a scholarship at Cranfield Business School, he gave me the same amount of money, and I bought the Atlantic 75, which is based at Hayling Island.

"I go down there quite a lot and have a very good relationship with the crew."

But 10 years on, Betty has bought a new £25,000 D class boat which can travel up to five knots faster and has a greater strength along with improved navigation.

Nigel Roper, lifeboat operations manager at Hayling Island, said: "All the voluntary lifeboat crew are really pleased to be getting a new boat which has a more powerful engine.

"The RNLI, as a charity, relies on voluntary contributions to maintain the service and we are all very grateful to Betty Battle for donating the cost of another lifeboat for Hayling Island."

The boat is to be named Amanda, James and Ben after Betty's three grandchildren.

A special naming ceremony will take place next Sunday and it will be attended by Betty and her family. She has also hired a 50-seater coach to take a lot of her friends from the village to the island.

The D class boat is an essential part of the fleet as it is able to carry out rescues in mud and shallow water and in areas where people are cut off by the tide.

Having been taken for a ride on one, Betty described it as "exciting" but said the crew had been told not to put her in any peril.
 

By forum user, Bruce_Bennett