1 July 2008 The National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) has launched a brand new website incorporating, for the first time, the domain sites and details for every NCI watchstation operating around the UK coastline.

Built by web designers COSMIC, based in Ottery St Mary Devon, the website holds information on how to join and become a watchkeeper as well as ways in which to support NCI financially as it relies entirely on voluntary contributions.

A new NCI shop displaying a range of leisurewear, stationery and other associated items has also been launched on the site and will shortly be open for business.

39 stations are now operational and 24 of them have achieved Declared Facility Status, duly agreed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). A further 11 are currently in prospect. They are manned by some fifteen hundred plus volunteers putting in a total of over 170,000 hours of watchkeeping annually at absolutely no cost to the public. They come from many different walks of life and bring with them a wide range of experience.

Commenting on the new website, Jon Gifford, Chairman, said: “This launch marks a great step forward in our capability to project the NCI as a thoroughly professional, credible and cohesive organisation fulfilling an ever increasing role alongside its Search and Rescue partners. Going forward, the NCI website will be the single most important face of our organisation at every level and I entreat all our members, supporters, SAR partners and other interested stakeholders to make use of it in the future. It has much to offer as indeed does the NCI.” Ends

For further enquiries, please contact:
Richard Hews, NCI National Public Relations Officer Mobile - 07774 108186 Email - [email protected]