By Business & Finance 
Eoin O’Neill, President, British Irish Chamber of Commerce; Alison Cotter, Events Manager, British Irish Chamber of Commerce; Chris Watson; Damien Payne; Kieran O’Connell; Laura Jackson; Craig Macintosh; Eamon O’Leary, at the RNLI lifeboat station at Dún Laoghaire (Photo: Paul Sherwood)
The fundraising event for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) will take place at The Shelbourne Hotel at 12:30pm on the 16 November.
The RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew across Ireland and the UK will be honoured by the British Irish Chamber of Commerce with a Seasonal Charity Luncheon with all funds going towards the RNLI crews ensuring they can continue to save lives. The event is open to all businesses across the Emerald Isle and Great Britain.
The event is supported by LK Shields, Morgan McKinley, Tilman Brewin Dolphin and Kennedy Wilson.
Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will be the keynote speaker and comedian Colm O’Regan will close the night off. During the event, first-hand accounts of the RNLI’s essential work will discussed highlighting their important work for communities across the islands.
Storm Ophelia took its toll on RNLI crew as they set out throughout the country to ensure everyone was safe. This included the Rosslare contingent that went out in force nine winds and six-metre sea swells to rescue a yacht off the south-east coast. All were safe in the rescue. Galway, Louth and Bangor also had call-outs.
The Director General of the British Irish Chamber of Commerce, John McGrane, said: “In the RNLI, the Chamber sees an organisation that demonstrates the strong ties between coastal communities across Great Britain and Ireland. The lifesaving work undertaken by the RNLI crews is awe-inspiring and speaks to the strength of the bonds across all islands.
“The Chamber’s event on the 16 November will support the valuable work undertaken by the RNLI with all monies raised going directly to help finance the lifeboat service and their drowning prevention work. What better way to show your support for the bravery of the RNLI volunteers.”
Head of Engagement, RNLI, Gareth Morrison, added: “The RNLI is delighted to have been chosen by the British Irish Chamber of Commerce as their nominated charity for this year’s Seasonal Charity Luncheon. As Storm Ophelia showed recently, our volunteer lifeboat crew stand ready to launch in all conditions to save others in distress or difficulty. In 2016, their efforts saved 431 lives in the UK and Ireland.
“Support like this is vital to the charity to enable us to continue saving lives. Proceeds will also go to support our ‘Respect the Water’ campaign aimed at halving the number of coastal drownings by 2024.”
To book a ticket for the event, email alison.cotter@britishirishchamber.com. Tickets are on sale now at a cost of €150 per seat with all proceeds going directly to the RNLI.
