28th July 2016.The team at NCI Rhoscolyn held a tea party on the afternoon of Sunday 29th May to raise funds to purchase a defibrillator for their station. Being held on a bank holiday weekend, in glorious sunshine, the event was very well attended by both local people and holidaymakers.

The party was held in the grounds of Jo Jones’ house perched on the headland overlooking Borth Wen and Rhoscolyn’s lovely blue-flag beach. Caro Wilson assisted Jo, a founder member of the Rhoscolyn team, in organising the event. They were assisted at the event by Station Manager John Wilson and watch keepers Mike Ripley, Dave & George Roberts, Kath Shipley, John Geary, John Dolan and John Nield who acted as car park attendants, waiters and washers up.

The tea party, along with a concurrent plant sale, raised enough money to buy the defibrillator outright which was an outstanding achievement. The team at NCI Rhoscolyn will now start an intensive training program to learn how to use it safely and effectively. Anglesey’s famous coastal path passes close behind the watch station, with steep uphill climbs in both directions, so the possibility of a member of the public  suffering a cardiac arrest can never be discounted.

During the afternoon Mike Shaw, standing a solo watch in the watch station perched on the cliffs above Rhoscolyn, added to the excitement of the afternoon when he assisted in the rescue of a cabin cruiser that had suffered engine failure several miles off the neighbouring holiday village of Rhosneigr. The Trearddur Bay lifeboat was launched to take the stricken craft in tow, passing the entrance to Rhoscolyn’s picturesque bay on its way to do so, providing a timely reminder of the vital work of the NCI in Wales.