Press
"Wednesday, 31 March 2010, Seaford Rotary presented a cheque for £500 to Newhaven National Coastwatch Institution to be put towards the cost of the repairing brickwork of our Lookout Station. The maintenance of the Tower's brickwork is costing several thousand pounds; this is a great help for which we are very grateful
The President of Seaford Rotary, John Owen, with Barry Wells, handed over the cheque to Ann Abbott representing Newhaven NCI. Also present were Gerry Foard and Tony Tilbury, founder members of Newhaven NCI, and Mike Taylor.
Town council's cash boost for the coast watchers
NEWHAVEN'S voluntary Coastwatch organisation received a boost from the town council with a cheque for £1,500.
The town council agreed to support the Newhaven branch with the money after being approached by NCI for a much smaller grant in 2006.
Town clerk Ian Everest said: 'The grant aid committee took the decision not to offer one of these relatively small grants of £100-£500, but to indicate to this organisation that the council would like to be able to offer them more substantial financial assistance, with a view to setting some funding aside in the 2007/08 budget.'
The money will be added to funds for a refurbishment of the cliff top watch tower which is estimated to cost £48,000.
During 2006 the NCI was successful in obtaining a financial contribution of £30,000 from the Gannet Foundation.
Press article from the Seaford Lions website and the Sussex Express 16th November 2007
The lookout at Newhaven is the 26th station reopened by the National Coastwatch since they first started in 1994 at Bass Point in Cornwall. The motto of the Coastwatch is “Spot, Plot & Report” a service they provide every day. Newhaven, Peacehaven and Seaford Lions club had great pleasure in raising funds for Coastwatch earlier this year. John Hawkley says the contribution will go towards improvements at the lookout. A cheque was presented to John Hawkley by Lion President Doug Janes. (1107)
Press article from the Evening Argus 4th October 2007
New Declared Facility coastwatch station launched
By Rachel Pegg
A town has its own coastwatch station for the first time.
Newhaven has been declared a station for the National Coastwatch Insitution and an official part of the area's Search and Rescue plan. Volunteers have been training for three years to gain the status.
The National Coastwatch Institution was set up in 1994 to protect the shores after two fishermen died off the Cornish coast. Many small coastguard stations had been closed due to Government cuts.
Jon Gifford, chairman of the trustees, presented Newhaven Station with a certificate awarded by the Chief Coastguard on Wednesday.
In February the station was given a £35,000 grant by the Gannet Trust, the charity arm of the parent company of The Argus and Newsquest (Sussex) Ltd.
It is now trying to raise extra funds so it can upgrade the building next to Newhaven Fort. Volunteers want to replace the steel ladder inside with a staircase to make it more accessible.
The NCI is funded entirely by donations. There are 38 stations round the country with three or four more opening every year.
One is due to open shortly at Shoreham beach, where volunteers have a lease on a Second World War searchlight tower. The tower will be refurbished with the support of Shoreham Port Authority.
The Newhaven station was assessed over two days in July. There were two exercises with Newhaven lifeboat, where a man was dumped overboard and volunteers had to spot him.
The station's spokesman Dennis Morgan said: "This showed how incredibly difficult it is to spot a head bobbing in the water from half to three quarters of a mile away, even with the powerful binoculars bought for us by the Royal Society of St George.
"It took the efforts of all in the lookout several minutes to see him. Then we had to direct the lifeboat on to him using a special system whereby our telephone was connected to the lifeboat's radio channel."
11:40am Thursday 4th October 2007
ARTICLE COPIED FROM THE NATIONAL COASTWATCH PRESS RELEASE IN THE SUSSEX EXPRESS 10th August 2007
'Birdman' rescued by lifeboat
The dive boat Mac D with two people on board also raced to the scene and assisted with the recovery of the 36-year-old man and his equipment.
The Coastwatch team in their tower on the cliffs near Newhaven Fort were able to keep a constant eye on the parascender who was in danger of becoming entangled in his canopy in the water.
NCI NEWHAVEN AWARDED DECLARED FACILITY STATUS
On the weekend of the14th &15 July 2007 Newhaven NCI Station was assessed for HM Coastguards Declared Facility Status. It started on the evening of Saturday 14th with a briefing given by Colin Neeson and Jim Bates the NCI assessors to members of the Newhaven NCI management.
On Sunday 15th the Newhaven Lookout was manned at 0800hrs in the normal way by the rostered duty watch keepers, at 0830 hrs Colin Neeson and Jim Bates plus John Hawkley Newhaven NCI Trainer and myself Dave Riggs Newhaven NCI Station Manager, arrived to start the assessment by giving them a guided tour of our station including all the relevant lookout equipment and documentation then the first of the chosen watch keepers arrived for their individual 30 minute assessments. These 6 watch keepers were chosen by the NCI assessors from the station’s membership so as to get a random selection so as to provide a fair assessment of our standard. The watch keepers would be assessed on how they open up the station, on their spot, plot, and report skills including chart work, local and tidal knowledge and communication skills etc. plus the handing over of the watch to the next duty watch or closing down as the case may be.
The HM Coastguard Southdown Sector Manager Ross Greenhill arrived to be the HM Coastguard observer and Marine Safety adviser for the two RNLI exercises to be carried out by us.
At 1000hrs the Newhaven Lifeboat Rubber inflatable boat deposited dead Fred (an exercise dummy) in Seaford Bay to simulate a man overboard exercise, which the duty watch Spotted, Plotted and reported to the HM Coastguard at Lee on Solent via the telephone. These things don’t always go to plan as in this case a passing dinghy sailor spotted the casualty and recovered it before identifying the training markings and then deposited it back in the sea before the Lifeboat arrived on scene.
The NCI watch keepers were then tasked to con (direct) the RNLI all weather boat to the casualty using the patch through system, which patches the phone line through to the lifeboat using their VHF radio.
The assessments continued throughout the day including another lifeboat exercise in the afternoon, using different watchkeepers. 10 watchkeepers in total throughout the day.
At 1600hrs the assessment was concluded and we then moved to the Newhaven Lifeboat House for a debrief which included input from the lifeboat crew. We were then informed that we had passed our assessment and would be receiving the Declared Facility Status certificate from the Chief Coastguard.
As the Station Manager I feel very proud of the Newhaven NCI watch keepers. They are a great team and all worked very hard to make sure we achieved the Declared Facility Status, as none of them knew who would be picked to represent us, they all worked hard to help each other. Also our thanks go to the Newhaven Lifeboat crew for giving up their free time for the realistic exercises.
Our parent company saves a Newhaven charity
From the The ARGUS, first published
Friday 1st Dec 2006.
The Charitable arm of The Argus's parent company has saved a charity from closure. The National Coastwatch Institution Newhaven had to raise £30,000 or face closing the run-down outpost at Castle Hill, Newhaven. Treasurer Brian Baker, said: "We are so grateful for this money, it really has saved the lookout. "It is in desperate need of repair, we have three vertical stepladders for access. Health and safety told us we have to replace them with a spiral staircase. "Coastwatch Newhaven, which is run by a team of 42 volunteers, applied to The Argus's parent company Gannett Co Inc, for £5,000 towards repairs but the fund stumped up most of the money towards the urgent repairs. Mr Baker said: "It is just wonderful. Once the repairs are done we will be able to concentrate properly on keeping watch ."Mr Baker explained: "Our role is simply to watch and report emergencies to the coastguard. "We do not perform rescues ourselves. "Our motto is we spot, plot and report."
Excerpts from the SOUTH COAST LEADER
8th December 2006
The Charitable arm of The Evening Argus's parent company has awarded the Newhaven National Coastwatch a large amount of money to renovate the NCI Lookout on Castle Hill at Newhaven. "It is in desperate need of repair, the main priority will be to replace the three vertical stepladders which access the tower to the watch-room, we need to replace them with a proper steel staircase to make it easier and safer for the watch-keepers and visitors to climb the tower.
Newhaven National Coastwatch which is part of the National charity Reg No 1045645 is run by a team of 42 dedicated volunteers, we applied to The Argus's parent company Gannett Co Inc, for a donation of £5,000 towards repairs but the fund came up with a larger sum of money which hopefully will be enough to cover most of the cost of the major refurbishment, which means we can get the work done in one go rather than in stages. The Treasurer Brian Baker said, it is just wonderful. Once the repairs are done we will be able to concentrate properly on keeping watch. "Mr Baker explained: "Our role is simply to keep a vigilant watch and report emergencies to HM Coastguard. "Our motto is, spot, plot and report."
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Praise for professionalism of Coastwatch volunteers.
Volunteers who look out for seafarers and beach visitors along the coast at Newhaven were praised by the chairman of East Sussex County Council.
Cllr Daphne Bagshawe recently visited Newhaven's landmark coastguard tower to meet the members of the National Coastwatch Institute, who have been operating the service since June this year.
"I was really impressed by the professionalism and enthusiasm shown by the NCI volunteers," said Cllr Bagshawe.
"They fought long and hard to keep the tower open when the Maritime Coastguard Agency had said it was to be demolished and now keep a watchful eye over a large area and help to safeguard the safety of people at sea and along the beach."
NCI is a registered charity and the Newhaven lookout now has 35 volunteers signed up and undergoing training. The group is on the lookout for more volunteers as the aim is eventually to provide a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week operation. Volunteers, who must be at least 18 years old, will receive training in radio, communications and observation skills.
The coastwatch work involves monitoring VHF marine channels and watching out for anything untoward, such as people in trouble out at sea or along the coast. Details are then immediatly relayed ro the relevant emergency services.
"Due to the dedication of the NCI volunteers, it could literally mean the difference between life and death for someone in trouble," Said Cllr Bagshawe.
"This is an extremly valuable safety service. I would appeal to people to help in anyway they can - either by becoming a volunteer or making a donation so that NCI Newhaven Goes from strength to strength." People who want to help may contact NCI central office on 0870 787 2147.
Story courtesy from Sussex Express on Friday October 29, 2004
Seaford Rotary have shown themselves to be firm friends of Newhaven
NCI and we hope this link will continue for many years to come"