Holiday letting business Classic Cottages is backing the Freshwater Independent Lifeboat’s Buy a Brick fundraising campaign on the Isle of Wight with a £1,000 donation to help fund the upgrade of the charity’s lifeboat station at Freshwater Bay.
The Freshwater Independent Lifeboat (FILB) was founded by members of the local community in 1972 and is funded entirely by a mix of donations, local business sponsorship and local community grants. It operates 2 lifeboats covering the South West Isle of Wight from Hurst Point to St Catherine’s Point.
In January, work started on a major renovation and expansion of the lifeboat station by local firm Stoneham Construction that will see the creation of an upstairs training area and community space for local groups, a larger shop to help fund the charity’s work, and improved storage.
Classic Cottages, with an office in Seaview, has provided £1,000 towards the Buy a Brick campaign, the equivalent of 20 bricks. The idea is that every brick purchased will directly support the FILB building project, with more than 400 sold so far.
There will be a dedicated Buy a Brick wall inside the station featuring the names of everyone who has donated or had a brick purchased on their behalf, such as commemorating a loved one or celebrating a family.
Rachel Crutcher, Isle of Wight Area Manager for Classic Cottages, the UK’s largest independent holiday letting specialist, said:
“The Freshwater Independent Lifeboat provides a vital service to residents and visitors, being on call to HM Coastguard 24 hours a day and receiving 20 to 30 shouts a year. We’re delighted to be supporting the Buy a Brick campaign and hope our donation encourages other businesses to get involved.”
FILB Station Upgrade Lead Josh Macgregor added:
“Every brick brings us closer to a station that will improve how we serve the community, train volunteers, and respond to emergencies. Local support like this helps keep the Freshwater Independent Lifeboat service strong – we’d like to thank Classic Cottages for their commitment to saving lives at sea and we are always happy to hear from potential corporate supporters.”
To Buy a Brick and support the fundraising campaign visit the JustGiving page, or you can email [email protected]
