“It was a lovely afternoon with colleagues and friends.”
Area commander Phil Norman said this month’s event, a three-hour river cruise on the Norfolk Broads, was a vital chance for his team – staff and volunteers alike – to commemorate being a part of an organisation that has focused on saving lives at sea for two hundred years.
The event was well attended, with coastguard rescue officers and senior coastal officers joined by representatives from the other emergency services partners.
Guests were treated to a buffet and homemade birthday cakes – a two and two zeroes, as well as one large cake.
A double decked paddle boat transported the group around the Broads, a network of navigable rivers and waterways across Norfolk and Suffolk that HM Coastguard is responsible for. The approximately 117 square miles of protected wetland is a unique location for water rescue in the UK, and the teams are particularly experienced after two centuries of gathering knowledge of the challenging waterways.
Phil said his teams comprise of ‘around 170 coastguard rescue officers, supported by senior coastal staff with 18 stations spread across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex’.
“We were all very proud to commemorate 200 years of our organisation in the area we – and those before us – have long protected,” he said.
“It was also a great chance to get together and enjoy some cake while telling some stories. I think we all remembered why it matters to us to be a part of this crucial organisation.”
If you’re interested in finding out more about becoming a Coastguard in East Anglia, please contact: area7@mcga.gov.uk detailing your reasons for wanting to join and availability to respond to shouts.
Similarly, visit: https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/ to search for current opportunities.
More pictures from the day:
