One of the Best Beaches in Sussex …

Mar 3, 2022

It’s well recognised locally that since lockdown, beaches all along the local coastline have become busier as ‘staycations’ have gained in popularity.

dry january fundraiser, PLIRB
And our own Pett Level is starting to be officially noted in lists of lovely places, and it has been declared one of the best beaches in Sussex in this recent article in the Sussex Express .

Yes, taking a bow at #3 in the list as the screenshot below shows …
one of the best beaches in Sussex, Pett Level beach
So now the word is out there, we’re already preparing for what may well be a busy season along Pett Level and Rye Bay! Because it may be one of the best beaches in Sussex, but it’s not without its risks and hazards.

Which is why you’ll find our teams of volunteers regularly training. Since last year’s extremely busy ‘unlocked’ summer, we’ve maintained our twice-weekly training sessions to help our volunteers to stay #rescueready as the seasons progress.

Regular training as a team means we can prepare and practice across a range of rescue scenarios, beach problem possibilities and likely first aid needs, in all types of weather and light conditions.

It also means we can plan ahead in terms of beach awareness education and raising awareness of hazards on local beaches and drowning prevention.

If you’d like to volunteer – and train – with us, please message us or phone our boathouse to find out more! 👍

IT COSTS MORE THAN £10k A YEAR TO KEEP OUR RESCUE BOAT CHARITY AFLOAT

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING US

Dry January Fundraiser

Mar 2, 2022

A huge congratulations to members of our crew Martin Geldart and Nick Wise, plus long-time PLIRB supporter Dawn Turner.

dry january fundraiser, PLIRB

Between them, this amazing trio took part in a Dry January fundraiser and raised an incredible £1200 for our charity.

This money will go towards much needed new dry suits for the crew, plus a little left over for some of the other essential equipment needed to keep us #rescueready! 

 This isn’t the first personal challenge amongst our supporters and crew which have raised vital funds for us. Who can forget the crazy beard growing of crew members in lockdown, or the epic cycle ride of Sean O’Sullivan when our community fundraising was closed during the pandemic.

If you have the time and the idea for a personal challenge which could support us – from a Dry January fundraiser, right through to a Christmas challenge in December – we’d love to hear from you! Please contact us.

IT COSTS MORE THAN £10k A YEAR TO KEEP OUR RESCUE BOAT CHARITY AFLOAT

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING US

Beach Safety Update

Mar 1, 2022

Please take a moment to read our essential beach safety reminder for local beach users. Our local Cliff End beach at Pett Level is notorious for rock falls and, after the recent storms, the current risk of rock falls is much greater.

beach safety signage, Cliff End
Please be aware that rock falls can happen at any time and can affect you whether you’re at the cliff top, or the cliff bottom.
To minimise personal risk:
  • Please stay away from the cliff edge at the top.
  • Do not walk or sit under the cliff line.
  • Do not try to climb the cliffs.
  • If you’re dog walking and recall is an ‘in-progress’ part of training, please keep your dog on a lead on the cliff-side of the beach so it can’t run into the under-cliff area.

And of course, please continue to be aware of how fast the incoming tide floods the under-cliff area. The tide can cut you off right under high-risk rock fall areas, so please:

  • Check the tide times before taking a walk (there’s widget on our home page to help with this).
  • Be aware that you can get cut off even up to 2 hours before the high tide is due!
  • Charge your phone before beach walks and visits and bring it with you, for emergency purposes.
Stay safe and #beachaware 👍

Remember, if you spot a problem, please call emergency services on 999 and ask for the coastguard.

IT COSTS MORE THAN £10k A YEAR TO KEEP OUR INDEPENDENT RESCUE BOAT CHARITY AFLOAT

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING US

Thank you to C-Side Cafe, Pett

Feb 28, 2022

We would like to thank staff and customers of C-Side Cafe at Pett Level, for their continued support.

charity donation box at C-Side Cafe, Pett Level

Our relatively new neighbours have been hosting one of our donation boxes on their counter and their kind customers have been making a charity donation of small (and occasionally larger) change into the pot!

The latest amount raised is £54.80! Thank you again for your much valued support!

Are you a local business? If you’d like to host a donation pot for us, we’d love to hear from you! Please contact us.

IT COSTS MORE THAN £10k A YEAR TO KEEP OUR RESCUE BOAT CHARITY AFLOAT

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING US

Lucy’s Pett Polar Bear Challenge Fundraiser for PLIRB

Feb 24, 2022

We’re very pleased to share that friend and neighbour of our rescue boat charity, Lucy Hogg is going the extra mile to raise funds for us, with the Polar Bear Challenge.

Since 1st November 2021, Lucy has been taking regular dips just off the Pett Level slipway, wearing nothing but her swinsuit! That’s right, no wet suit or thermals, the Polar Bear Challenge demands swimming outdoors in just a swimsuit, right through the winter!

 The Polar Bear Challenge runs from 1st November 2021 to 31st March 2022. As well as the swimsuit requirement, Lucy is competing in the Gold level of the challenge, which means she needs to swim 1000m a month, with two of the swims being a distance of 250m each.

And amazingly, through all of this effort, Lucy has also taken up the challenge of raising vital funds for Pett Level Independent Rescue Boat. So every time Lucy steps into the freezing water, she’s raising funds for us at the same time!

 

“I signed up for a personal challenge but I’d also like to raise money for a very special local charity – Pett Level Rescue Boat. I swim just off their slip and they do such an amazing job and its all run by volunteers.”

Lucy Hogg, Polar Beach Challenger

 

Lucy’s set up a Give As You Live donation page and has set a target of £500. There’s just over a month to go until 31st of March and just over £300 to go for Lucy to meet her target, so if anyone would like to support Lucy’s efforts, please visit her page and make a donation.

Lucy Hogg Give As You LIve Polar Bear Challenge

 

With a month still to go, you can check Lucy’s progress on the page. We’ll also keep you updated on our social media, so please keep checking back for the next update on Pett Level’s very own polar bear challenger!

Thanks so much Lucy, from all our volunteers.