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Donations > Horse races raise £500 for the Silloth lifeboat

Carrs donate £500 to RNLI Silloth

AN ADVERT featuring horses riding ten-storey high surf waves was voted the most iconic TV commercial of all time. Now, real life galloping horses have helped raise £500 towards the Silloth lifeboat which knows a thing or two about dramatic adventures in rough seas.

Julius Deane, recently appointed Wheat Director of Carr’s Flour Mills, explained how the money was raised.

“At a leaving party for my last job at Westmill Foods’ Rice mill at Selby we held a race night,” he said.

“We bet on videos of old race meetings and my generous colleagues raised £320 towards charity.”

On joining Carr’s he became conscious of the importance of water to both mills.

“Barges bring rice up the River Ouse to the Selby mill and ships bring wheat into the docks for the flour mill at Silloth,” he said.

“This lessens the need for road transport and helps to keep down carbon emissions.”

Coupled with his personal passion for water - he owns a narrow boat - and his huge admiration for the work of the RNLI, Julius decided to donate the money to the Silloth lifeboat.

The HQ and slipway is just a stone’s throw from the Silloth mill.

Local haulier Lakeland Transport and wheat supplier GrainCo topped the money up to £500.

Eddie Studholme, Silloth lifeboat operations manager, said the money would go directly towards the running costs and general maintenance of the lifeboat stationed at Silloth.

“Every donation is very welcome and there is a long association between Carr’s and the Silloth lifeboat,” he explained.

“Down the years a lot of crew members have worked at the flour mill.”

The Silloth lifeboat is involved in up to a dozen emergencies every year and covers a huge stretch of water from Maryport in West Cumbria across to Balcary Bay in Scotland and all of the upper reaches of the Solway Firth.

A local volunteer force of 27 - which includes five women - is essential to its operational target of hitting the water within seven minutes of an alarm being raised.

The Atlantic 85 class lifeboat at Silloth, which cost £160,000, is called the Elaine and Don Wilkinson and has a top speed of 35 knots.

The relief lifeboat, Chelsea Flower Show, which is being used temporarily at Silloth, was brought out for the cheque presentation.

“It’s an impressive vessel equipped with all the latest equipment and there’s a great camaraderie amongst the crew and volunteers,” added Eddie.

RNLI Silloth treasurer Alan Howe thanked Carr’s for the money.

“We rely on donations and legacies to maintain the RNLI which saves countless lives at sea each year,” he said.