THE Reston Concert Band approached the RNLI with the idea of raising money for the lifeguards based at Coldingham Bay.

This is the first fundraising effort aimed at raising funds specifically for RNLI lifeguards in Scotland.

The RNLI lifeguard service at Coldingham Bay is the first and still the only lifeguard service the RNLI operate in Scotland. The lifeguards are now half way through their second season and they have proved their worth to beach users and the community.

Beach Lifeguard Matthew Gibbons said: ‘We’re really pleased that we have been chosen to receive this generous donation.

‘The money is invaluable to us and will pay for the kit we need to do our job, such as the wetsuits we wear to keep us warm in the water, sunglasses and t-shirts to protect us from the weather on nice days, and ponchos to protect us from the weather on not so nice days!

‘I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the Reston Concert Band on behalf of all of us at Coldingham Bay.’ The local authority contributes towards the RNLI’s costs, which helps to pay their wages but the cost of fully equipping each lifeguard is £600 and the annual cost of training each RNLI lifeguard is £524.

The primary role of lifeguards on the beach is to prevent incidents from happening in the first place by offering safety advice and marking out a safe swimming area with red and yellow flags. Lifeguards at Coldingham Bay have also tended to minor and major first aid incidents this year and have rescued a number of people from rip currents which can catch people unaware and take them further offshore.

The lifeguards at Coldingham Bay will be on duty until 8 September and the RNLI would encourage anyone to go and enjoy the beach at Coldingham this summer.

The RNLI’s Beach Finder app enables users to search the UK for lifeguarded beaches and read up on local hazards. With real-time weather updates from the Met Office it also removes any doubt over whether to pack the umbrella or the sun cream! The app is available to download for Apple or Android devices at www.rnli.org/beach