Nisa donates £2000 to York Rescue Boats

16/03/2021

The money donated will go towards the annual £15,000 annual cost to run the service

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Image by York Rescue Boats

By Emily Hewat

The Nisa Kimberlow team on Campus East have donated £2,000 to the York Rescue Boat team. This was made possible through the ‘Making a Difference Locally’ charity which supports local communities by helping retailers raise money which is then given to good causes in their area. Nisa has raised the money through the sale of selected products such as all of their Heritage Range and all Co-op brand items.

This comes after York Rescue Boats asked for donations through York Press as their usual fundraising efforts have had to be cancelled due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

According to YorkMix it costs the team £15,000 annually to keep the rescue boats running.

In 2019, this included:

  • £2,399 in fuel
  • £3,985 in insurance
  • £3,802 in storage
  • £2,973 in boat and vehicle maintenance

Mark Mullen – lead coxswain and procurement officer at York Rescue Boat – stated that
 “The money will add to our ongoing fundraising efforts to acquire a new operational command vehicle for use in our work in York and further afield. Our current vehicle is an ageing Ford Transit which, despite giving sterling work, is very much feeling it’s age.”

He continues, “The new vehicle will be built with communications and mapping so we can maintain the safety of our crews, with first aid equipment to support the boat. It will be seen on the streets of York during our routine patrols and during callouts; our team is available 24 hours a day 365 days a year to support North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue on searches and rescues around both rivers, ponds, lakes etc.”

In addition to the costs, there is concern that the York Rescue Boats will become an even more vital service as lockdown restrictions are eased. The river Ouse in York is already considered to be hazardous with many lives unfortunately being lost each year as people fall or jump in. Furthermore, there are now concerns that as bars and restaurants reopen, people will forget the dangers of the river and more accidents will occur.

Andy Blades from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service told YorkMix that “We have concerns that people may be tempted to enjoy the hospitality of the city more than ever and that could have serious consequences in terms of water related incidents.

“We know that if you’ve been out for a few drinks”, he adds, “it’s easy to not really think about the consequences of your actions; whether that’s jumping into the rivers because it looks fun, or slipping and falling in because you’ve got too close to the edge.

“Our message for when the city starts to open back up is to be aware of your surroundings” Blade finalises. “If you’re heading out for drinks, look out for your friends and try to avoid taking shortcuts home that [bring] you [alongside] the river.”