Norfolk volunteers had a double celebration during Volunteers Week when Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal visited the National Coastwatch station at Gorleston on Wednesday 4 June.

Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal is Royal Patron of the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI), a charity run entirely by volunteers. Her Royal Highness visited NCI Brancaster in January and NCI Cromer in January 2024 as part of an ongoing programme of visits to meet the volunteers at NCI’s 60 coastal stations.

NCI’s stations report to HM Coastguard and have to pass a rigorous programme of assessments to be part of HM Coastguard’s official list of trusted organisations – each known as a ‘declared facility’. They share the same aim of helping to save lives around the coast which the charity has been doing for over 30 years. NCI Gorleston opened in 1995 and stands on the Pier, on the site of the town’s former lighthouse and later the Coastguard station, with sweeping views out to sea. There are 43 members including trainees, all of whom are volunteers and they are on watch every day from 8am to 8pm in the summer months. They log around 500 vessel movements each month and in 2024, they assisted HM Coastguard with eight incidents and there have been a further four this year.

All 2,800 National Coastwatch volunteer watchkeepers help to keep people safe and save lives along the coast by maintaining a daily visual and radio watch of the coast, looking out for anyone in potential danger. They report any coastal safety-related incidents to HM Coastguard so that expert help can be sent, including the Coastguard Rescue Teams and helicopters, the RNLI, independent lifeboats and all emergency services.

The Princess Royal was received at the station by His Majesty’s Deputy Lord-Lieutenant of Norfolk, Mrs Jane Cator. She presented NCI Chair, Stephen Hand who introduced Station Manager, Bob Griffiths, Deputy Station Manager Garry Hitchings and watchkeepers Tom Foster and Barry Banham.

Her Royal Highness visited the station’s watch room for a briefing about the watchkeepers’ work. After visiting the station, The Princess Royal attended a reception at the nearby Pier Hotel.

Around 50 NCI Gorleston volunteers, watchkeepers, donors and supporters met Her Royal Highness.

Also present were NCI Trustee Linda Lawrence, maritime search and rescue partners including HM Coastguard, RNLI and the RNLI lifeguards. The local community was further represented by the High Sheriff of Norfolk, Patrick Lines; Cllr Thomas Fitzpatrick, Chair of Norfolk County Council; Cllr Carl Annison, Mayor of Great Yarmouth and the local supporters of NCI Gorleston.

The Princess Royal then unveiled a plaque to mark her visit to the station and presented long service awards to:
10 Years: Tom Foster and David Dicks
20 Years: Andy Lee

Stephen Hand, NCI Chair, formally welcomed Her Royal Highness to NCI Gorleston and thanked her for her visit.

“Your Royal Highness, as NCI Chair it is an honour to welcome you once again to Norfolk and this time to NCI Gorleston.

“Your visits are always a huge boost for everyone involved, they really help to shine a spotlight on the work of our dedicated volunteers and today is especially timely as we celebrate Volunteers Week. We are all extremely grateful for the time and commitment that you give to NCI,” he said.