Fundraising stalwart has helped raise more than £1m for lifesaving charity

A TENBY volunteer who has dedicated three decades to saving lives at sea has marked her milestone anniversary with a celebration alongside the friends and colleagues who have supported her journey.

Doreen Mortimer MBE, long-time shop manager and fundraiser for the RNLI in Tenby, hosted a special gathering for fellow volunteers on Thursday (Feb 12) at Tudor Mount Gastrobar to celebrate both her 30 years of service and her recent royal honour.

Now in her 90s, Doreen remains a familiar and energetic presence in the town’s RNLI shop, where her tireless efforts have helped raise more than £1 million for the lifesaving charity.

She was one of six RNLI volunteers recognised by His Majesty The King as the organisation approached its 200th anniversary last year, receiving an MBE for her outstanding contribution to fundraising and community service.

Award-winning dedication

Doreen’s commitment has long been recognised within the charity.

In 2022 she received the RNLI’s Excellence in Volunteering Award from head of fundraising Jayne George, after the Tenby shop’s takings topped £100,000 within months of reopening following the Covid lockdowns.

Jayne George said at the time: “Although Doreen has a team of volunteers backing her up, she is the driving force that keeps sales rising, and whenever the fund-raising committee holds an event, she is there with her bucket.”

The following year she was honoured again for her long service, helping make Tenby the number one RNLI shop in Wales.

She was also recognised by RNLI chief executive Mark Dowie during his farewell tour of UK stations.

Still going strong

Despite her age, Doreen continues to volunteer for up to 50 hours a week during busy periods, supporting the shop, events and collections.

Friends say her energy and enthusiasm remain an inspiration to younger volunteers.

Thursday’s celebration was not only a thank-you for Doreen’s service, but also a chance to acknowledge the wider team whose efforts help keep the charity’s vital work afloat.

For Tenby’s lifeboat crews, every pound raised locally helps ensure they can launch at a moment’s notice — and for three decades, Doreen Mortimer has been at the heart of that mission.

A HISTORIC lifeboat which saved forty lives around the British coastline is set to begin a new chapter in Pembroke Dock next month when she is formally handed over to the West Wales Maritime Heritage Society.

The 1957 Watson-class vessel, RNLB Pentland, will be transferred to her permanent home at the West Wales Maritime Museum during a public ceremony on Saturday, March 7 at 1:00pm.

Organisers say the event will mark the end of the boat’s private stewardship under Mike Brotherton MBE and the beginning of her preservation as part of Pembrokeshire’s maritime heritage.

The handover will include the lowering of the Blue Ensign and the raising of the Red Ensign, symbolising the lifeboat’s move into museum care, followed by a short presentation recounting her operational history.

During her years of service at Thurso, The Mumbles and Workington, Pentland was launched into some of the worst conditions the coast could throw at her crew, helping to save dozens of lives.

Trustees say bringing the vessel to Pembroke Dock will ensure that future generations can see first-hand the type of lifeboat that protected coastal communities for decades.

Visitors attending the ceremony will also be able to tour the museum’s restoration workshops and view other ongoing heritage projects, including work on the Charterhouse lifeboat.

Refreshments, including burgers, bacon rolls, tea and coffee, will be available before and after proceedings.

Entry to the museum and boatyard is free, although donations to support preservation work are welcomed.

Multiple helicopters and lifeboat set to the scene. Three coastguard teams dispatched.

THREE climbers have reportedly fallen into the sea at St Govan’s Head, triggering a major multi-agency rescue operation along the south Pembrokeshire coast this afternoon.

Multiple helicopters and the Angle RNLI all-weather lifeboat were seen responding, with aircraft activity tracked across the coastline earlier this evening.

A spokesperson for HM Coastguard said: “HM Coastguard are responding to an incident involving three climbers at St Govans Head in Pembrokeshire on Thursday, February 12.
“First alerted at around 4pm, Coastguard rescue teams from Fishguard, St Govans and Tenby have been sent alongside an HM Coastguard helicopter, an Irish Coastguard helicopter, Wales Air Ambulance and an RNLI lifeboat from Angle.”

Dyfed-Powys Police are also in attendance.

It is not yet clear whether the casualties were on the cliff face, at the top of the cliffs or in the water when the alarm was raised. Their condition has not been confirmed.
St Govan’s Head, within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, is a popular but exposed climbing location known for steep limestone cliffs and strong seas.
Updates to follow as more information becomes available.