Local school marks 20 years of visits from Chiswick RNLI

Strand on the Green Infants School has celebrated a significant milestone, marking two decades of regular visits and education from the Chiswick RNLI crew.

The long-standing partnership aims to teach young children about the life-saving work performed on the tidal Thames. On 26th January, 270 pupils attended a special assembly led by Press Officer David Clarke and Volunteer Crew Member Elinor Rimmer.
Dressed in full emergency kit, Elinor demonstrated the specialised equipment needed for river rescues and taught children a vital safety message: if you see someone in trouble in the water, tell an adult to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard. To show their support, pupils participated in a ‘waterproof’ themed dress-up day the next day, raising £225 for the charity. Following the half-term break, the duty crew brought a lifeboat to the riverbank at Strand on the Green to meet the pupils and personally receive the donation.

Deputy Headteacher Nav Bhatti said: ‘‘Our young children absolutely love the RNLI visits every year. Seeing the actual lifeboat and hearing directly from the crew really brings our fundraising to life for them. There is always a buzz of excitement. We really value the work the RNLI crews do, and it’s lovely for the children to hear first-hand about their important work and the boat.’’

Chiswick RNLI lifeboat station is the second busiest in the UK and Ireland. Since 2002, Chiswick Lifeboat has attended over 4,900 incidents and rescued over 2,500 people. As the RNLI is entirely funded by public donations, the continued support from local schools like Strand on the Green remains essential for maintaining their 24/7 service.