Strand on the Green Infants School children meet the local lifeboat crew

Strand on the Green Infants watch as the lifeboat arrives on the River Thames near their school

Infants School raises money for the RNLI and learns important lessons about the dangers of the river

Children from Strand on the Green Infants School met the local lifeboat crew to give them a donation and to hear all about the work they do on the river.

The RNLI station at Chiswick Pier is the second busiest in the whole of the UK and Ireland, the busiest being the one at Tower Bridge. Run by volunteers, the Lifeboat Institution provides a 24-hour search and rescue service, operating 238 lifeboat stations around the coast of the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches.

Chiswick RNLI have been visiting Strand on the Green Infants school for the last 20 years to talk about the life saving work of the RNLI on the tidal Thames.

Chiswick Lifeboat Press Officer David Clarke and volunteer crew member Elinor Rimmer, who wore the full kit, were the focal point of an assembly of 270 children. Elinor demonstrated the kit the crew need to wear and talked about the dangers of the river. The children learnt about the need to ask an adult to phone 999 and speak to the coastguard if they see someone in trouble in the water.

“Many of the older children remembered the previous visits and already knew about lifeboats on the Thames and asked pertinent questions”, said David.

Children excited to meet some real life heroes

After half term the duty crew brought the lifeboat back to Strand on the Green to meet a small group of pupils by the waterside and receive a donation of £225 they had collected after the assembly. The children chatted to the crew and cheered them as the lifeboat left.

Deputy Headteacher Nav Bhatti said:

“Our young children absolutely love the RNLI visits every year. Seeing the actual lifeboat and hearing directly from the crew really brings our fundraising to life for them. There is always a buzz of excitement. We really value the work the RNLI crews do, and it’s lovely for the children to hear first-hand about their important work and the boat”.

The RNLI is leaving Chiswick this summer, moving to a new purpose-built base at Battersea. Since the RNLI search and rescue service on the Thames started in 2002, Chiswick Lifeboat has attended over 4,900 incidents and rescued over 2,500 people.

READ ALSO: Chiswick RNLI Lifeboat station planning to relocate

READ ALSO: Big plans for Chiswick Pier in 2026

READ ALSO: Brentford fans give £2,000 for Chiswick RNLI in match day collection

The RNLI is entirely funded by public donations.

Chiswick Lifeboat Station website

Read more stories on The Chiswick Calendar