THE first charity event to benefit the recently formed ‘Bude Coastguard Association’ (CGA) took place at the Aspire Gym in Bude on Friday, December 22.

The inaugural event raised over £700 for the charity.

Organised by the gym’s owner, Nathan Carter, with the assistance of two members of the Bude Coastguard Rescue Team and CGA members who attend the gym regularly, 17 people attended the ‘exercisathon’, each making a £10 donation to take part.

The theme of the event was ‘superheroes’ and all those taking part in the circuits class were encouraged to don superhero attire.

Superman, Batman, Ironman and many other superheroes were in attendance. The class lasted approximately 40 minutes.

When the class was complete, complimentary food was provided by Helen Steval, with a selection of drinks laid on by the gym.

Members of Bude Coastguard Rescue Team also attended the event to provide encouragement to those taking part, and to also answer any questions about the CGA or about what being a Coastguard Rescue Officer entails.

Further donations had already been collected in advance of the event by Gary Carter, Nathan’s father. Neil Chesebrough, Bude CGA chairman, said: “We’d like to say a special thanks to Nathan for choosing the Bude CGA as this year’s charity. It was a tremendous effort from all concerned and has certainly helped boost the charity’s funds.”

Bude CGA was formed in early 2017 and is an affiliated branch of the national Coastguard Association charity, which provides help and financial support to Coastguards and their dependants in times of need. It has the full support of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, and all members of the Bude Coastguard Rescue Team — part of HM Coastguard’s regional search and rescue capability — are members of the Bude CGA, with the Bude branch planning on opening up membership to the public in 2018.