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If you are unfortunate enough to find yourself in need of rescuing along the North Tyneside Coastline then it is more than likely that you will come into contact with the volunteer members of the Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade (T.V.L.B.).

The Brigade is currently the most called-out Coastal Rescue Team on the East Coast of England, averaging around 130 calls a year. These calls can range from taking a leading role in the provision of first aid, to cliff fallers and carrying out their extraction, to an ambulance, to incidents where the Brigade co-ordinate the rescue efforts for persons in trouble off the Coastline.

While the T.V.L.B. works very closely with Her Majesty’s Coastguard and is a declared facility to this organisation, they are in fact an independent charity who rely entirely on voluntary contributions to continue to provide their rescue service and also to ensure the upkeep of their Watch House Museum based at Spanish Battery, Tynemouth.

The Brigade was formed in 1864 following a violent storm which led to the loss of two ships on the Black Middens Rocks in the River Tyne. Following this a number of local businessmen decided to take a stand and form a group of men trained in the use of Ship to Shore rescue equipment – a process known as Breeches Bouy Rescue. Following the successful creation of the T.V.L.B., it was not long before Volunteer Companies based upon the T.V.L.B. were formed all the way along the United Kingdom Coastline. As time progressed many Volunteer Companies became the local Coastguard teams that still exist today. However, three V.L.B.’s still remain in Sunderland, South Shields and Tynemouth with Tynemouth now the last team on the United Kingdom Coastline still trained in the use of the Breeches Bouy Rescue Equipment. SONIK SPORTS is Proud to support and publicise the work of the TVLB.

To find out more information about the T.V.L.B. or to make a donation towards the organisation please visit www.tvlb.org.

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