WESTON'S RNLI is set to be granted with "the greatest honour" that can be bestowed on any organisation or individual in the town.

At a full town council meeting held last night (Monday, November 20), the decision was made to grant the lifesaving charity with The Honorary Freedom of the Town.

An official ceremony will take place early next year.

Councillor Ciaran Cronnelly, mayor of Weston-super-Mare, said: "The honorary freedom of Weston-super-Mare is the greatest honour that our town can bestow on any individual or organisation.

"The bar for awarding the freedom of our town is exceptionally high, with only four instances recorded since 1937. The last recipient was 40 Commando Royal Marines, ten years ago."

The RNLI has been an integral part of the coastal town since 1882. Its staff and volunteers save lives day in, day out, sometimes even putting themselves at risk to rescue those who find themselves in difficulty.

The mayor added: "The RNLI Weston-super-Mare is an exceptional organisation, and everyone involved represents the best of us.

"We are immensely proud of their historic and ongoing work. They have our deepest gratitude for the lives they've saved and the impact they've had on our community."

Chris Ware, the operations manager at Weston RNLI, said “The whole team are extremely honoured and humbled by the news of this award and the kind words said about our team’s efforts to save lives at sea and assist those in need along our coast.

"We recognise that this award is not only for our current team but the many Westonians who have been part of our crew and the fund-raising team for well over a hundred years.

"We are very aware and privileged that we are only the temporary custodians of what is Weston-super-Mare’s lifeboat station.

"We are passionate about giving our very best to serve such a wonderful and supportive community. We are also really thankful to our families, friends and employers who support us and allow us the time to do what we do.”

The ceremony will give the local community the chance to express their gratitude and honour the individuals who carry out the lifesaving work.