24th July 2016. A group of dedicated sea paddlers, the Jurassic Sea Kayakers (JSK), have dusted off their paddles to raise more than £1,300 to boost maritime safety in Dorset.

In October last year JSK founder Steve Jones suffered a stroke while kayaking off Durlston Head with a group of kayaking friends. The team at NCI Swanage NCI co-ordinated his rescue with HM Coastguard and the Swanage RNLI, who took him in their boat to their slipway where he was then flown by Coastguard helicopter to Poole General Accident and Emergency, where he spent a week in the AcuteStoke Unit.

By way of thanks, the keen kayakers of JSK decided to raise money for the  National Coastwatch Institution and this weekend presented a cheque for £1,333 to NCI Swanage, which overlooks the notorious Peveril Point tidal overfalls.

Steve Jones said: 'I'm absolutely thrilled to be able to hand over this money - these guys do an amazing job,they're unpaid volunteers around our shores dedicated to saving lives at sea. Without them the seas around Dorset would be a much more dangerous place for us all.”

Ian Weston,Station Manager at NCI Swanage, said: 'I'm amazed that so much has been raised. It's quite unbelievable and we're very grateful for such support.”

Accepting the cheque with Mr Weston were NCI volunteers Bob Clark and Yvonne Powell, who were the volunteer watch keepers on the day of Mr Jones' stroke. The photograph, courtesy of The Blackmore Vale Magazine, shows members of the JSK presenting the cheque to Ian Weston and NCI members Bob Clark and Yvonne Powell who were the volunteer watchkeepers on the day of Mr Jones' stroke.