There was an air of excitement at RNLI headquarters on Monday as the London-based Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons visited the lifesaving charity after announcing a £1.6M donation towards a new state-of-the-art lifeboat for Angle lifeboat station.
The Grand Master of the Order of Mark Master Masons, HRH Prince Michael of Kent, was taken out to sea on board one of the RNLI's Tamar lifeboats to celebrate the momentous occasion.
During a sea trip on board the Tamar, HRH was able to experience first hand the capabilities of this latest class of all-weather lifeboat designed by RNLI's in-house teams.
The huge donation completed the task to foot the bill of £2.6M for a Tamar class lifeboat for Angle.
The windfall was a significant boost to fund-raising efforts, which RNLI supporters began so effectively at grass-roots level in Birmingham and West Wales. Now the £1.6M donor, namely the Mark Master Masons, have the right to name the new lifeboat.
The donation will help ensure Angle RNLI lifeboat station gets a lifeboat capable of reaching casualties faster, helping them save more lives at sea. It is expected to arrive on station next year.