THE HARD working volunteer crew from Enniskillen RNLI station are fundraising for a permanent station, and the local public is being urged to do all it can to support the live-saving service.
For years the busy station, which is all the busier now with the current staycation boom, have been operating out of shipping containers. After securing planning permission, however, the station is now on its way to getting its very own much-needed permanent station.
With the RNLI relying entirely on donations from the public, the local community is being urged to support the station’s special fundraising appeal for the new build. The highlight of this appeal will be a Late Summer Ball, which is taking place at Lusty Beg Resort on September 18th.
“In Enniskillen Station we’re working out of five metal containers,” said Enniskillen RNLI lifeboat operations manager Gary Jones, who was speaking to the Herald at the county’s other RNLI station at Carrybridge, which has its own state-of-the-art station.
“They are hoping to build us a nice new station, like this one, come September, we’re hopefully starting to build then,” he continued. “The building fund is a special appeal particularly for the building of the new station, and it has just been launched.”
Indeed, the station at Carrybridge was made possible thanks to the support of the local public.
Opened by the Duke of Kent in 2015, the local public community contributed £60,000 towards the cost of the build. Just like Enniskillen Station, the Carrybridge volunteer crew had been operating out of temporary accommodation.
Having first been established by a group of local people who recognised the vital need to have a life-saving and rescue service on the lough and took the initiative to provide a service almost 20 years ago, the Enniskillen and Carrybridge stations became the first among the entire RNLI network to operate on an inland waterway. After the establishment of the Fermanagh services, the charity recognised the need due to the increase in use of inland waterways such as Lough Erne for pleasure.
Tickets for the Late Summer Ball, which will feature dancing to The Engagements, are £50. To buy a ticket email Louise at lleonard87@gmail.com or call her on evenings or weekends only on 0773138706. For accommodation call Lusty Beg at 028 68633300 and quote ‘RNLI Ball’.
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