CAMELFORD Rotary Club has made a donation to the National Coastwatch Institute (NCI) Boscastle towards the cost of replacement windows and shutters.

NCI Boscastle is located on the North Cornwall coast path close to the harbour entrance.

Like many other buildings directly facing the sea, it gets battered by the frequent winter storms. Operation and maintenance of the station relies on the dedicated team of trained volunteers who attend every day and the financial support received through charitable donations.

The Rotary Club of Camelford received a letter from the National Coastwatch Institute (NCI) at Boscastle in October 2018, asking if they would be able to assist in helping to donate towards some very urgent new windows and metal window shutters for the lookout station at Boscastle, as the existing ones are leaking and the shutters are very old.

The Rotary club agreed that this was a worthy request as the NCI does an important job assisting the coastguard and RNLI when required, plus keeping an eye on the local fishing boats and the many walkers on the coast path that passes by the station.

The Boscastle NCI station manager, Mr Chris Evans, recently joined the Rotary club for lunch at Bowood Golf Club in Camelford, after which he gave a brief talk about the work he and his team of volunteers undertake and the wider role of the national network of coastwatch stations that monitor the whole UK coastline.

The Rotary members asked many questions and learned a lot about this valuable organisation.

Camelford Rotary Club Immediate past President David Hodge presented Chris with a cheque for £400 to go towards the cost of the replacement windows and shutters, which was greatly appreciated by him on behalf of NCI Boscastle.

The Boscastle station is open every day and a warm welcome is extended to members of the public to pop in to meet the volunteers and see the high powered telescope and surveillance equipment. Donations are of course always welcome.