TV show to shine spotlight on lifesaving volunteers and their leaning tower

Members of a lifesaving team on the Fylde coast are set to be guest stars on prime time TV.

Volunteers at the National Coastwatch Institution’s (NCI) stationed at Rossall Point Observation Tower in Fleetwood, will be among the stars on Channel 5’s ‘Coastal Adventures with Helen, Jules and JB’.

The show sees the popular presenters Helen Skelton, ex-JLS singer JB and Jules Hudson explore the UK’s coastline, meeting the people who live and work at the coast and who know its secrets.

The episode with Fleetwood NCI is to be aired on Tuesday, 26th August at 8pm.

Volunteers at NCI Fleetwood, the most north-westerly of NCI’s 61 coastal watch stations, welcomed Helen Skelton and the show’s camera crew to the watch tower on a sunny day in May.

Helen met the crew and found out about the work of the charity’s 2,800 volunteer watchkeepers who 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.

The volunteer 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.

A spokesman for Fleeetwood NCI said: “It was a perfect opportunity to demonstrate the important coastal safety work carried out by NCI’s volunteers and to show off the views across Morecambe Bay.

“It was a fantastic day and we loved showing Helen and the film crew our views and discuss our responsibilities at Rossall Point.

“We assist our HM Coastguard partners and other search and rescue organisations by acting as ‘eyes and ears’ along thecoast. We help to keep locals and visitors to our beaches and in-shore waters, safe,” he said.

From the safety of the watch tower, Helen and the crew also saw for themselves the local dangers of fast tides at Morecambe Bay.

The spokesman added: “Our vantage point provides us with extensive views across the bay and as well as our eyes, we use high power optics to help us keep a look out for anyone at risk of being caught out by the tide or stuck in mud. Helen was particularly interested to hear how our volunteers have raised the alarm early enough to help save lives.

“We all hope the message on water safety is heard by many and we thank Helen and her team for their visit.”

NCI Fleetwood has been in operation at Fleetwood since 2008 and moved into the newly-opened Observation Tower in 2013.

The distinctive tower was commissioned by Wyre Council with funding through the Sea Change Programme. It was designed to look as though it is leaning into the wind and rises 42 feet above the sand dunes.

it has lomg since become something of a local landmark.

The station currently has 46 volunteers who keep a lookout every day of the year during daylight hours. The station is always looking for more volunteers and supporters who would like to help save lives along the coast.

Interested people can enquire by calling in to the station or emailing fleetwood@nci.org.uk