News 18 October 2024

Mitie volunteers bring sea change to RNLI sites

It was all hands on deck when Mitie colleagues joined their client’s team to refurbish two Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) facilities.

The dedicated volunteers spent a day sprucing up the charity’s locations in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire. They needed a bit of TLC to make them more comfortable for RNLI colleagues and visitors alike.

Head of Asset Care, Bev Jackson, was part of the team that organised the event, which saw her manager, Michael Castle, spend part of the day in a unicorn rubber ring and armbands.

Group of Mitie colleagues renovating a RNLI station
A great team effort to support the RNLI – Michael Castle can be seen centre, wearing his unicorn rubber ring

Bev explains: “The RNLI boathouse juts into a pond, where there are lots of curious swans. To clean the windows, Michael had to enter the water in a dry suit. Although he’s not a big fan of water, he was a good sport and wore the rubber ring and armbands for a bit of fun while he scrubbed away with the swans for company. I hasten to add everything was risk assessed and we adhered to all the precautions and equipment required to make sure it was a job well done. Most importantly it was carried out safely.”

Work completed for the RNLI included:

  • Painting
  • Replacement of carpet tiles
  • Updated signage
  • Deep cleaning
  • Weeding

After a hard day’s work from all involved, the refurbishment made a huge difference to the sites’ appearance.

Bev says: “It looked absolutely brilliant. We were all so proud to be involved and everyone put in a superb effort. The RNLI is an amazing charity, so I’m glad Mitie supported us all to do our bit.”

During the day, Bev was tasked with sorting a tasty treat for the hungry workers – and it proved particularly apt for a team contributing to a seafaring charity

Bev says: “We had to have fish and chips. The local chip shop even provided a discount because we were helping the RNLI. There was so much goodwill from the flooring company, the paint company and the volunteers themselves. Thanks to the team effort, the RNLI sites in Lytham St Anne’s are more welcoming and function better for both the charity’s colleagues and visitors.”

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