Red Bay RNLI Service of thanksgiving

The service is to give thanks to the men and women who volunteer for the charity and for the people in the community who continue to support the RNLI so generously.

This year is an important one for the station with the delivery of the new Atlantic 85 lifeboat. The new lifeboat will have the ability to carry a fourth crew member, radar capability and a faster response time. The new lifeboat will also have more room for casualties.

The lifeboat crew have recently carried out some major training exercises with Portrush RNLI, the Royal Navy and the Irish Coast Guard helicopter crew.

Paddy McLaughlin, Red Bay RNLI lifeboat helm added: “ This service is a way of bringing all of the lifeboat volunteers and members of the community together to offer thanks. That thanks may be for the volunteer who gets out of their bed at 3am to answer a callout for the lifeboat or it may be from someone in the community who was brought home safely by the crew. Everyone is welcome to attend.”

Local clergy from the surrounding parishes will be joined by the Glens Choir to celebrate the work of the RNLI in Cushendall. After the service light refreshments will be served in the Cushendall Parish Centre.