Here's a great story from Julian at Newlyn's mission proving the value of PFDs (Personal Flotation Devices - life-jackets to you and me) - in this instance when seas crashed through the buildings windows on the very day the Mission was due to hand out free life-jackets to fishermen - plenty ofg jokes about needing to wear a life-jacket in the Mission!
The Fishermen’s Mission has retained three main
aims since it’s inception in 1881. The first, is the safety of fishermen and
over the many years we have evolved from taking out (in the Bethel boats out to
the guys at Sea) fresh dry cloths to obtaining oils and life jackets for our UK
fishermen. Last year, the fishing authorities in Scotland and Northern Ireland
obtained European funding monies to buy these new Mullion personal flotation devices (PFD’s). They are designed for fishermen by fishermen. As the only
fishing related charity it was obvious to partner with ourselves and then
distribute the life jackets.
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| Julian, RNLI Frankie and Mission skipper Keith Dixon demonstarte the PFDs |
We together with Seafish and the RNLI applied
for a European grant to obtain more PFD’s for Cornwall and England.
Thankfully a trail of 200 was allocated to the Duchy and now they have all been
allocated to Cornish fishermen around the whole of the coast. Superintendent
Keith Dickson and Centre Manager Julian Waring raced around the coast putting
up flyers, using every media outlet and talking to fishermen to ensure they
would come to the two day road show in Newlyn this week.
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| Training session from the RNLI's Frankie. |
Overwhelmed with the
response, we coped well due to the scores of volunteers who helped with the
distribution, form filling and handing out of pasties and refreshments. At each
training session, the fishermen listened to Frankie from the RNLI who ran
through the need and the importance of life jackets. Then on the second day just
before we were about to train and hand out over 100 PFD’s, a wave crashed
through the window at the Mission Centre in Newlyn destroying the carpets and
all the paper work ready for the event. Fishermen a plenty came to the rescue
and cleared up within the hour.
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| Just the paperwork to complete! |
Then Emma at Seafood Cornwall reprinted all the
paperwork required. Together with Andy from the CFPO they stayed and helped
with the form filling. Without them, our volunteers and the fishermen these
events wouldn't have happened.
Thank you, Julian
