Saving lives at the centre of the fun at Haven’s Thornwick Bay Holiday Park

Good times, family fun and a whopping £4,002.93 raised for Haven’s charitable partner the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) was all part of Thornwick Bay’s Stormy Gala in August.

An annual event but postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic, Thornwick Bay’s annual Stormy Gala was back with a bang – with the sole aim of raising money to save lives at sea. The event saw lots of stalls from local independent retailers with guests being spoilt for choice of a range of sweets and homemade jams.

Holiday makers enjoyed the team entertainment throughout the day with voices raised high as they sang along to their favourite songs whilst taking their chances on a range of games and activities. And if that wasn’t enough to keep them entertained, guests were also wowed by the local dog show.

RNLI mascot Stormy Stan made an appearance and proudly presented the cheque of money raised for the day. “It was a great day for everyone,” said Stephanie Boyle, Head of Experience at Haven’s Thornwick Bay Holiday Park. “Holidaymakers and holiday homeowners had lots of activities to take part in and really got involved in helping us raise such a substantial amount for the RNLI”

Since launching the partnership with the charity in 2018, Haven has managed to raise over £310,000 through team, guests and owners undertaking a range of different fundraising efforts such as the Stormy Gala held at Thornwick Bay. The funding has helped fund items such as essential training for lifeguard training, new inshore lifeboats and full kit for inshore crew members.

With over 2.5million holidaymakers visiting Haven parks each year, the RNLI's work is vital to educate people on how to stay safe at the coast and know what to do in an emergency.

 “Saving lives is at the heart of everything we do and because we are not publicly funded, which many people may not realise, we highly value our partnership with Haven and are extremely grateful for the charitable donations made throughout the year, “said Ross Martin, Partnerships Manager for RNLI.

“These donations help us do our crucial work at sea and also give us the chance to continue to educate people on how they can lessen the risk of putting themselves in danger at sea.”