Joan McDowell, 84, gets an RNLI award for 50 years helping Workington and Whitehaven's lifeboats Former Workington mayor Joan McDowell honoured for 50 years with the RNLI
Marra Mode is how we'd tell you this in the Co-op. Switch it off for the straight version.
Joan McDowell's been raising money for the lifeboats since 1975, and the RNLI's just given her a 50-year long service award.
This one's for anybody who backs the lifeboats along our coast, and anyone who's ever stuck a quid in an RNLI bucket down Whitehaven Marina.
Joan Kirkwood McDowell, 84, from the Workington and Whitehaven RNLI Fundraising Branch, has been handed a 50-year Long Service Award. She started volunteering back in 1975 and she's done all sorts since, chair and secretary of the branch committee included, the News & Star says.
The lifeboats have been part of her life for a long time. Her late husband Alan was Coxswain at Workington Lifeboat Station from 1967 to 1972. She said: "We both loved being involved in the RNLI together, often fundraising on Whitehaven Marina with our RNLI collection buckets."
She's done her bit for the town an' all. In 2004 she was Mayor of Workington, just like her mam, who had the job in 1984. She said: "Being the Mayor of Workington meant a lot to me, following after my mother." She picked the RNLI as one of her charities that year, along with the Parkinson's Disease Society, because Alan had Parkinson's.
Her favourite job? She said: "Throughout my time at the branch, I have especially loved collecting soft toys for our tombolas, washing them, sanitising them and getting them ready for their new owners."
Dani Beckett, the RNLI's Community Manager in Cumbria, said: "Joan's dedication to the RNLI over the past 50 years has been nothing short of extraordinary."
The RNLI's a charity and most of its crews are volunteers, so it's branches like Joan's that help keep the boats going.
What you can do: if you fancy helping out, the Workington and Whitehaven branch, like all RNLI branches, is always glad of new volunteers. You'll find how to get involved on rnli.org.
Joan Kirkwood McDowell, 84, of the Workington and Whitehaven RNLI fundraising branch, has received a 50-year Long Service Award for supporting lifeboat crews since 1975.
This is for anyone who supports the lifeboats on the West Cumbria coast, and for everyone who has dropped a coin in an RNLI bucket on Whitehaven Marina.
Joan Kirkwood McDowell, 84, from the Workington and Whitehaven RNLI Fundraising Branch, has been given a 50-year Long Service Award. She began volunteering in 1975 and has since held many roles, including chair and secretary of the branch committee, the News & Star reports.
Her links to the lifeboats run deep. Her late husband, Alan, was Coxswain at Workington Lifeboat Station from 1967 to 1972. She said: "We both loved being involved in the RNLI together, often fundraising on Whitehaven Marina with our RNLI collection buckets."
She has served the town in other ways too. In 2004 she was Mayor of Workington, following her mother, who held the same role in 1984. She said: "Being the Mayor of Workington meant a lot to me, following after my mother." She chose the RNLI as one of her mayoral charities, alongside the Parkinson's Disease Society, because Alan had Parkinson's.
Asked about her favourite part of the work, she said: "Throughout my time at the branch, I have especially loved collecting soft toys for our tombolas, washing them, sanitising them and getting them ready for their new owners."
Dani Beckett, RNLI Community Manager in Cumbria, said: "Joan's dedication to the RNLI over the past 50 years has been nothing short of extraordinary."
The RNLI is a charity, and its lifeboat crews are mostly volunteers, so local fundraising branches like this one help keep boats and stations running.
What you can do: if you would like to help, the Workington and Whitehaven fundraising branch, like other RNLI branches, welcomes new volunteers. Details of how to get involved are on rnli.org.