Coastwatch volunteers recognised by royalty

Princess Anne met with volunteer watchkeepers in Cleethorpes and Mablethorpe

Volunteers who keep people safe on the Lincolnshire coast have been presented with long service awards by the Princess Royal.

The watchkeepers have all worked for the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) for between 5 and 10 years.

As the charity's royal patron, Princess Anne visited the NCI station in Mablethorpe and formally opened a new seafront unit in Cleethorpes.

Peter Smith, a water safety officer at Skegness who received an award, described his brush with royalty as a "privilege" and said: "It's possibly the highlight of my life - the most important person, apart from my wife, that I've met."

Peter Smith, Jerzy Kwinta and Colin Wingfield were presented with awards at Cleethorpes Golf Club

Mr Smith added: "It's nice to meet someone who really supports us."

Jerzy Kwinta, a senior watchkeeper, who was awarded for his decade of service, said: "I feel recognised and very proud. Volunteering for NCI is a matter of contributing to your local community and also to the sea community."

Colin Wingfield, the deputy station manager at NCI Skegness, said: "I received a five year service award and it was really nice to meet the princess."

The Princess Royal braved the weather to say hello to visitors on Cleethorpes seafront

The National Coastwatch charity, which was set up in Cornwall in 1994 and run by volunteers, now has 62 stations, with fully-trained volunteer watchkeepers all reporting to HM Coastguard.

The station in Cleethorpes opened in June 2025 and replaces a former mobile unit. The charity is looking to secure more funding for a permanent building in the seaside resort.

Ian Whalley MBE, the NCI deputy chairman, said: "Cleethorpes was exactly the right place for it to be.

"We'd already checked on the data and we knew there was business here for us. On the first day of opening, we had five incidents."

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