LIFEBOAT Day in Skegness on Saturday 1 August 2009 raised around £5,000 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. The day was a great success with lots of stalls and attractions to amuse visitors.

Inside the boathouse there was a model boats display, and outside there were lifeboats on display, a raffle, other stalls, the coastguards, a sea safety stall, and a big presence from RAF Waddington's Sea Survival School, including their life raft.

The weather stayed mostly fine which was just as well as the Pastor from the Church of the Nazarene, East Lincolnshire, the Rev'd Ian Banks went out to sea with the Lifeboat crew as theRNLI and the RAF performed a sea safety demonstration in the afternoon to show people what happens during a real-life rescue and launch.

Ian used to be a Minister with the Methodist Church in Skegness and was Chaplain to the RNLI Crew before joining the Church of the Nazarene. Now that a Nazarene Church has been planted in Skegness, Ian has resumed his role as Chaplain. Earlier this year he went to sea with the crew in order to scatter the ashes of a dear friend and fund raiser for the RNLI who died last September. The weather in January was a lot different!

On Saturday, Ian was able to witness first hand how some of the lifeboat crew were winched to safety by the RAF helicopter from the life raft which thrilled both Ian and the huge crown watching from the safety of the shore.

There was even some real excitement when the lifeboats spotted a speedboat in trouble just as they were about to return to shore after the demonstration.

The crew established the speedboat needed to be towed back to the beach and took it to the boat compound in Princes Parade. None of the four people on board were injured.

The day proved to be a very special one for the youngest member of the new congregation in Skegness, William Fisher, when he was hoisted onboard the Lifeboat as it was pulled up the beach on its return from sea nearly three hours after its launch. William has always been a fan of the Lifeboat crew but now he definitely wants to join the crew when he's old enough.

Fundraising events were also taking place at the Hildreds in the town centre where the Ladies' Lifeboat Guild was collecting funds with the Hildreds' model of the Lincolnshire Poacher. One of the founder members of the East Lincolnshire Church of the Nazarene, Pete Newsome, who was formerly an Honorary Secretary to the RNLI in Skegness, was one of those collecting funds on Saturday afternoon.