Harris' Leverburgh lifeboat station at risk of closure
- Published
Leverburgh lifeboat station was established in 2012
A lifeboat station in the Western Isles could close eight years after it first opened.
The RNLI is consulting on the future of the station in Leverburgh in Harris because of difficulties retaining a crew for the vessel.
The local community hopes the station can be kept open, with a decision expected from the RNLI next month.
The lifeboat has not been in service since November last year and is in Inverness for planned maintenance.
The RNLI said the situation affecting recruitment of volunteers had been "impacted and compounded" by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Lifeboat cover is being provided by stations in Lewis, Barra, Portree on Skye and Lochinver on the west Highland mainland.
Leverburgh lifeboat station was opened in 2012 following a community campaign. Since then islanders have raised on average £25,000 a year for the RNLI.
Recruitment challenges
Over the past eight years, Leverburgh has responded to 97 shouts - emergency call outs - and assisted 86 people.
But the RNLI said there had been recruitment challenges since the station opened.
A spokeswoman said: "We have great respect for, and empathy with, the community in Leverburgh and we recognise the immense work that the community have already put into the station and continue to put into the consultation process.
"As a lifesaving organisation and charity, we will always act with the best interests of our volunteers and our donors in mind, we can do this by ensuring the effectiveness of our service and fulfilling our primary purpose of being able to respond when called."
- Published16 May 2018
