Volunteer crews at Weston RNLI were 'honoured' to have received medals which recognised their long service and token of thanks from the Queen.
At a celebration last week, (June 29) the Queen's Platinum Jubilee medals were awarded to 25 boat and shore crew members of the team who have completed more than five years service with the charity.
The medal is a token of the nation’s thanks and follows a long history of awarding medals to mark Royal Jubilee celebrations. The first of its kind was awarded to mark the 50th year of Queen Victoria’s reign in 1887.
The Platinum Jubilee medal is the fourth medal under Queen Elizabeth II and recognises the 69,212 lives the RNLI has saved during her reign.
Two other crew members also saw their efforts recognised at the event.
Bryan Kemp, fundraising volunteer, was presented with a medal for a whopping 40 year service to the charity.
Chris Payne was also awarded with a medal for his 30th year of volunteer service. Chris has been a crew member since 1992 and has held almost every post at the station including lifeboatman, mechanic and medical trainer.
A spokesperson for Weston's RNLI said: "It was a proud moment for the crew and their families to be present at the event to show them their appreciation for Bryan and Chris' many years of service.
"Our Patron, Queen Elizabeth, has been by our side throughout her reign, and everyone at Weston lifeboat station send their absolute best on
her Platinum Jubilee milestone."
The medals were presented by Holly Giles, whose late father Paul, volunteered for the RNLI in Weston. Holly is now the youngest volunteer helping in the RNLI shop at Marine Lake, carrying on the family tradition of volunteering service.
The evening was concluded with drinks and a buffet, followed by a toast to absent, and departed friends, family, and crew mates.
Weston's station was established in 1882 at the request of the local inhabitants and moved into its boathouse on Birnbeck Island in 1902.
In 2013 they were forced to leave the station for health and safety reasons. Weston RNLI now operates out of a temporary lifeboat station on Knightstone until it can once again be returned to its spiritual home on Birnbeck.
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