Stay Safe Along the Coast – New coastal and water safety service

Coastal safety is set for an extra boost this summer with the official launch of 'Stay Safe Along the Coast' from National Coastwatch.

Watchkeepers from 30 National Coastwatch stations (Including NCI Exmouth) have been trained to offer coastal safety information to members of the public.

The charity's volunteer watchkeepers will be on duty at or near their station at busy times to offer information to help people enjoy their time at the coast safely and avoid accidents.

They will provide information on local conditions and hazards and will offer practical safety support.

This includes wrist bands for children to carry their guardian's contact details so they can be quickly reunited, waterproof phone pouches and stickers for owner's contact details for paddleboards and personal watercraft.

From now on, in addition to the 30 stations in phase one, all 60 National Coastwatch stations will support safety messaging. This will include displaying and sharing information, sharing safety information on social media and getting out and about at the coast to engage with visitors and community groups.

Stephen Hand, National Coastwatch Chair said: "We've been active in promoting coastal safety for some time but the official launch of 'Stay Safe Along the Coast' is an important step forward. We also work closely with all our search and rescue partners including the RNLI and HM Coastguard as we all share the same aim of keeping people safe at the coast."

"The help and encouragement we've received from HM Coastguard and the RNLI has been fantastic and to them we say a big thank you.

"We are also indebted to Trinity House for their generous funding which has helped to get this important initiative off the ground.

"Finally, huge thanks must go to our amazing volunteers, for their time, work and great enthusiasm in making National Coastwatch Coastal and Water Safety happen."