Rayleigh MP Mark Francois has lent his support to a campaign to re-establish a supporter's branch of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in Rayleigh. As part of this effort, Mark joined RNLI regional organiser Stella Dubbin and other RNLI supporters in early August outside Sainsbury’s at the Rayleigh Weir, to collect money for the lifeboats and to seek to encourage potential volunteers to join the new branch.
Mark has been a member of the RNLI for many years and would be keen to see a branch formed in the town to help raise money to save lives at sea. Following the supermarket collection, Mark discussed plans with Stella Dubbin to hopefully get a new branch of the RNLI up and running in the area by Christmas. Speaking about the campaign, Mark Francois said:
""It was good to take part in the collection at Sainsbury's and it was kind of the company to allow the charity to collect there. The RNLI do great work, some of it very dangerous, in helping to safeguard life at sea and I believe that people in Rayleigh would like to do more to support them if given the chance. We have a lifeboat station nearby at Southend and so it would be good to think that we could help support what is in effect quite a local service for those who use the waters of the Thames Estuary. I very much hope that people will come forward to support our lifeboat crews by reforming a Rayleigh branch of the RNLI.""
Anyone who is interested in giving up a little of their spare time to help raise money for the RNLI in and around Rayleigh is encouraged to telephone Regional Organiser Stella Dubbin on 01473 822 837 for more details.
