Blue Light Weekend event honours RNLI man's wish

Man wearing a protective yellow helmet and life jacket. He is smiling.Image source, Family handout
Image caption,

RNLI volunteer Steve Medcalf wanted Withernsea "to be the place to be for at least one weekend a year", his brother said

  • Published

Emergency, lifesaving and military veteran services will come together this weekend at a free event created by an RNLI volunteer who dreamed of giving back to the community he served.

Withernsea's Blue Light Weekend was the idea of Steve Medcalf, an RNLI lifeboat manager, who died trying to save his two dogs from a fire at his home in November 2022.

His brother, Andy Medcalf, said Steve had hoped the event would put Withernsea on the map.

Now Andy and other organisers are honouring those wishes, promising the "biggest and best" event yet with music, entertainment, and large-scale spectacles including an air show, 1-mile sea swim, barrel raft race, colour run and other fundraising activities.

Three men with life jackets on a raft made of out barrels in the sea. There is another group on a similar raft in the background.Image source, Blue Light Weekend
Image caption,

Organisers hope the event will include the "UK's largest" blue barrel raft race

He wanted Withernsea "to be the place to be for at least one weekend a year", Mr Medcalf said.

One of the organisers Dave Penson said Steve Medcalf was an inspiration.

Mr Penson said the Blue Light Weekend attracted approximately 7,000 people in its first year, with visitor numbers rising to about 25,000 last year.

He added that in addition to the free entertainment on offer, the weekend also provides vital fundraising opportunities for the organisations taking part.

A group of people, some in fancy dress racing with footballs.Image source, Blue Light Weekend
Image caption,

There will also be family fun events

Organisers said some of the attractions at Saturday and Sunday's Blue Light Weekend could be among the "UK's largest", citing the 1-mile (1.6km) sea-swim with more than 100 participants, a blue barrel raft race and a free air show spectacular.

They added that 500 people had already signed up to take part in a colour run, for which they had sold 1 tonne of colour powder.

Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here, external.

Download the BBC News app from the App Store, external for iPhone and iPad or Google Play, external for Android devices