The Ferryside Lifeboat 2nd Annual Big Swim – over £5000 raised!

We are extremely pleased to announce that the Big Swim 2011 was a great day on August 6th this year. Hundreds of you turned out to see our 24 swimmers bravely take on the big swim from the foreshore in Ferryside to Llansteffan and back. The day was an absolute success in the turn out, the atmosphere of the day (and on into the evening!), and the money raised towards the new lifeboat.

This would not have been possible without the tireless work of James Littlejohns (Ferryside Lifeboat Senior Crew) who arranged the event, including all the safety details. We would also like to thank the River Towy Yacht Club for generously hosting the event and providing safety boat cover, and everybody else who was there on the day giving their time to ensure that the whole event could run smoothly and safely.

A huge thank you to all the swimmers who devoted months of hard work, training, and raising money for the event. We are waiting for all the money to come in but we estimate the event has raised over £5000. This is a staggering amount for an event that is still in its infancy. We would especially like to thank all those who went the extra mile in preparing food for the day despite all they had already done.

We are still waiting for pictures of the day to come rolling in. If you have any then please forward them to our email address [email protected] so that we can include them in a gallery on the website.

First picture from This Is South Wales, originally here

The 2nd Annual Big Swim is coming up on the 6th August. The 3Km swim is from Ferryside to Llansteffan and back and will start at 11.00am from the foreshore. We are expecting plenty of people to show up and we have now arranged for extra entertainment, we will have bands all day and plenty of other attractions. More news to follow when all has been confirmed.

We would like to say a big ‘congratulations’ to Louise Jones and Suesan Thomas who have been practicing relentlessly over the past few weeks and successfully made it across to Llansteffan and back last weekend. Well Done!

 

We are very grateful to the huge time, and not to mention considerable effort, all the swimmers are putting in. Remember, every penny they raise goes towards the lifeboat. Thank you everyone!

23rd Annual Garden Crawl

Sunday 17th July 2011

1.00pm to 5.00pm

Last year we celebrated the 175th anniversary of the establishment of the first lifeboat at Ferryside in 1835: one of the very first lifeboats in Britain. The RNLI began the service to assist vessels using the thriving port of Carmarthen, but the eventual decline in commercial traffic along the Towy estuary led to its closure in 1960. However the 1960’s saw an increase in water based leisure activities and the Llanelli division of the St. John Ambulance began using a small inflatable boat as a rescue service. This lifeboat was granted divisional status by St. John Ambulance Wales. Generous local support has since enabled the Feryside Inshore Lifeboat to serve the coastal community to the present day.

Today this garden crawl is raising funds to ensure the continuation and improvement of the Ferryside Inshore Lifeboat into the future. Please throw any loose change into our collection boxes in the gardens, or if you would like to contribute in a more substantial way (e.g. by gift or legacy), please speak to the crew at the lifeboat station or the village hall.

We thank all of the owners allowing us access to their gardens during your visit. We kindly ask you to please respect the gardens during your visit, and keep high-spirited children and animals under control. Please feel free to ask questions, listen out for the jazz band and enjoy a very pleasant afternoon.

Garden Crawl Venues

Four Corners Square – Volunteers

The Square – Steve’s shop, White Lion and Ferry Cabin

Lifeboat Station – See the lifeboat and tour the station

The Ferns – Janet and Bryan

Plas y Dderwen – Steve and Irene

Roberts Rest Lodge – Joan, Maudie and Tarka

15 Brigstocke Terrace – Dave and Lynn

Village Hall – Refreshments, Raffle, Directions, Toilets

Whitethorn – Nerys, Dave and Glyn Model Vehicles and Railway

Castle View 1904 – Mo and Gary

Ty ar Dwyn – Beth and John

Pentisha – Ros and Dave

Ty Gwyn – Trudi and Alisdair

3 Llys Holcwm – Ann and Barry

8 Llys Holcwm – Becky and Rob

Keepers Cottage – Gill and Phil

You will find refreshments and raffle tickets in the village hall, and a warm welcome in the participating gardens and venues.

We also thank our sponsors and those who have donated raffle prizes for their generosity and invaluable support.