5th December 2019. NCI Hornsea have had two good reasons to celebrate during 2019. Firstly, they celebrated the first anniversary of their station opening on August 1st 2018 by HRH The Princess Royal and secondly, the 25th anniversary of the National Coastwatch Institution.
As a new station, there had been a need to improve local and regional awareness of NCI Hornsea, what it does, how it is funded and staffed. The need to achieve this was a critical requirement as a basis for maintaining and extending their future operations. A local builder stepped in and sponsored the purchase of a logoed gazebo which was put straight into action as a base for their presence at a number of local events over the summer period. The stand was branded with the NCI Logo and set up to promote what NCI does using story boards and was staffed by members who engaged with the public to tell their story. It also featured during the 25th anniversary and this was used to demonstrate the significant contribution NCI has made in ensuring that people using the sea and coast are being looked after, by delivering the NCI “Eyes along the Coast” promise. The events attended ranged from local village fetes to the annual Bikers Gathering in Hornsea. These raised much needed funds and a number of volunteers. The station also organised a special celebratory Tombola next to the station on the 25th Anniversary. Unfortunately, a strong easterly wind cut the day short!
The station now has a proactive PR and Media contact programme. A mailing list has been built that includes all types of media with a release scheduled on a quarterly basis. An arrangement with the local Hornsea newspaper has evolved where a pre-written article is published each month. The regional BBC programme Look North recently spent a day at the station filming for use on their regional news programme.
In its first year of operations NCI Hornsea has begun to establish itself as a part of the town’s community and continues to strive to increase the broader awareness of its role within the NCI community.