by Rebecca Hannant
A remarkable show of community spirit has helped raise more than £20,000 for Withernsea’s RNLI station in the wake of the tragic events on the town’s seafront just after the new year.
On Thursday, February 26, Withernsea Boating Social Club hosted the draw of the community raffle organised by Teresa Mansell, owner of Hair Taylor in Queen Street.
Teresa launched the fundraiser in the aftermath of the deaths of Sarah and Grace Keeling, of Nottinghamshire, and local man Mark Ratcliffe, after witnessing the huge emergency response along the coast.
While the rescue effort was co-ordinated by HM Coastguard and involved several emergency services, Teresa was particularly struck by the efforts of the volunteer crew at Withernsea RNLI, whose lifeboat station relies on charitable support.
The raffle took off beyond all expectations, with more than 100 prizes donated, becoming one of the largest fundraisers the town has ever seen. Businesses across the region also stepped in to sell tickets.
RNLI crew member James Medcalf said: “On behalf of Withernsea RNLI, we want to express our sincere gratitude for the remarkable £20,000-plus raised.
“This is an incredible achievement and a real reflection of the generosity and community spirit that surrounds our town.
“Every penny raised will directly support our lifeboat station here in Withernsea. The funds will be used to help train new crew, provide more lifesaving equipment and contribute towards the essential running costs that keep our volunteers ready to launch at a moment’s notice.
“We will also be exploring options to purchase additional specialist training aids to further support our crew’s development.
“We are incredibly thankful to Teresa and everyone who supported the fundraiser. Their hard work and dedication will make a real difference to our lifesaving work on the Withernsea coastline.”
The big raffle draw saw members of the public and RNLI volunteers gather for an evening of entertainment which also included bingo and an auction.
The raffle itself raised £19,260. However, additional funds from the auction, bingo and another donation from the Hildyard in Patrington means the overall total is heading over £21,000.
Teresa said: “We are going to reach about £21,000, which is incredible, it’s even better than the target I had in mind. I am speechless, it’s brilliant.
“It shows that even when times are tough, people are willing to pull together. I think most people supported it for the actual cause rather than the prizes.
“The RNLI were fantastic on the night. They’ve been so supportive and grateful to be involved. They were a huge hit, even with the auction and the raffle tickets going on in the background.”
Among those celebrating on the night was Darren England, who won a £200 Amazon voucher donated by Principal Resourcing.
He said: “It’s so great that our volunteers in the RNLI and Coastguard are so well thought of by our community here in South Holderness. They work so hard and risk their lives daily.
“So many people have supported the raffle for this great cause including us and it was a surprise to win such a nice prize.”
Barbara Wilson, who bought tickets on behalf of friends and family across the UK, said the fundraiser had given people a way to help in the wake of the tragedy.
She said: “Teresa is my hairdresser and an amazing woman. When she first put on Facebook that she’d like to do a raffle in aid of the RNLI, I jumped in to support her as much as I could.
“Already being a fundraiser for the RNLI I am beyond passionate about our crew and felt this raffle was something the town needed.
“I don’t know about other people, but I felt I needed to help towards such a heartbreaking situation. Teresa gave us that chance to do something.
“In all I had 40 tickets last night, all bought by friends and family from down south and my daughter’s work team bought some. They are based in Milton Keynes and have no connections to Withernsea at all but felt they needed to join in.
“We won two prizes, a Leeds shirt and a rug. We had such a lovely evening and were so chuffed to win but truthfully that was a bonus. I don’t think we really bought tickets to win anything – we were donating.”
Another signed Leeds United shirt ended up with lifelong supporter Aidan Gorman, who was born in Leeds.
He said: “My nanny had the Leeds United junior squad as lodgers with names such as Ian Harte, Paul Pettinger, Kevin Sharp and Mark Tinkler.
“I’ve always been a Leeds fan. You may see me in a Celtic FC shirt now and then as I was brought up in a big Irish Catholic family, but I’m a big Leeds fan and I’m proud of supporting a team who have a loyal fanbase.
“But more importantly I’m happy this shirt has helped raise vital funds for Withernsea RNLI, a very worthwhile charity indeed.”
Caz Gorman, one of the Withernsea RNLI fundraisers, said: “Events like these help our crew do the amazing job they do, all voluntary. Without donations they wouldn’t be able to do what they do.
“It’s been amazing how the public have contributed in so many ways to Withernsea RNLI. It makes me proud to be part of the Withernsea RNLI fundraising crew and also bringing an RNLI shop to Withernsea. Fingers crossed the shop will be back in Pier Towers in April.”
In the meantime, a number of raffle prizes have been left unclaimed. To find out if you have won visit the Withernsea Community Raffle Auction Facebook page.
A further donation of £1,040 was also handed to the RNLI from members of the Boating Club committee.
The club had already been raising funds before the events of January, with chairman Heather Stocker and committee member Penny Spokes raising £370 during the Boxing Day Dip.
This was followed by a £130 donation from Withernsea Lions and £150 from a local singer and the Four in Hand Social Club, along with further contributions from Easington Youth Club and bar collections.