Sue Povey had a fascinating day out at the RNLI Headquarters and Training Centre in Poole with her group, organising a tour of the facilities and lunch for members.
Sue, who runs Out and About with Sue in Hampshire, took 35 group members to Poole Lifeboat Station, which is the RNLI’s headquarters.
She shared their experience with us…
There is far more to the huge RNLI Headquarters and Training Centre in Poole than expected, as our group found out.
On arrival, the great architecture of the buildings stood out; its design has won awards. The views across the bay are great, too.
We were divided into three smaller groups as some of the spaces on the tour were limited. Our guides explained everything in a very thorough and interesting way: the different kinds of lifeboats, the building of them and their maintenance, the history of the RNLI and the way it now operates, and how it also reaches out internationally to save lives in water.
“Groups also have the opportunity to dine here after their tour, which we did and enjoyed this extension to our visit.”
About the RNLI
The charity, primarily funded by donations, has been saving lives for more than 200 years. The vast majority of its people are volunteers, supported by expert staff. Founded in 1824, it is said that more than 146,000 lives have been saved since it began. It has a number of museums across the country including the Eastbourne Museum, Grace Darling Museum and the Henry Blogg Museum.
We toured training rooms, electrical and technology rooms as well as the large swimming pool that had great versatility to create huge waves. We looked at the lower life ribs which are used to test trainees’ ability to climb into, in addition to the platforms to train volunteers on jumping into water from a height.
Finally, we had the exciting experience of the lifeboat simulator. Here, a number of us were able to steer the boat through rough seas, avoid hazards and spot people in the water.
Even those of us in this lifeboat as passengers felt the simulated motion - fortunately no one was seasick however!
Groups also have the opportunity to dine here after their tour, which we did and enjoyed this extension to our visit. We had a two-course hot lunch in a private room, followed by tea or coffee. There is also a self serve restaurant, which is open to the public as well, but groups dine in a spacious room, which worked really well for us.
To enquire about organising a tour of the Poole Lifeboat Station, group travel organisers can email Poole_StationVisits@rnli.org.uk.
For more information visit the RNLI website
