Simple raffle to ‘raise a couple of hundred pounds’ for local lifeboat crew brings in £21,500
Withernsea teenager Alfie Palmer manning a fundraising stall; members of Withernsea RNLI crew, from left, James Medcalf, Darren Hickey and Caden Bates, at the community raffle draw at Withernsea Boating Social Club(Image: supplied image)
A Withernsea hairdresser who felt “helpless” after three people tragically lost their lives in the resort in early January decided on what she thought was a “small” plan of action. Teresa Mansell, who runs Hair Taylor, in Queen Street, with her barber husband Shaun, was, like the rest of the local community, left devastated when Grace Keeling, 15, her mother, Sarah Keeling, and Mark Ratcliffe died in the sea after the incident on January 2.
Conscious of the timing, Teresa left it “a couple of days” but then set to organising a raffle in her salon. “I just wanted to run a raffle in the salon as a way to make, maybe, a couple of hundred quid for the Withernsea lifeboat crew, with them being the first volunteers at the scene.
“It was just for them to be able to have a drink, or to do something with. I never would have dreamed it would get so big.”
Teresa’s timing was obviously spot on; with other people sharing in that feeling of helplessness, she “opened the door” to something that has since raised around £21,500, at the latest count. People clamoured to buy raffle tickets, at £5 a go, before they were even printed; local businesses were falling over themselves to offer prizes, or vouchers for experiences, and nearby villages took up the mantle, selling raffle tickets as fast as they could get hold of them.
Teresa said: “It was amazing.” She said she barely needed to contact anyone before the fundraiser took on a life of its own.
“It hit that time when I think people felt they needed to do something,” she said. “I am very aware that I started it all from my settee, sitting in the warm, writing a Facebook post about it, when you compare it to the efforts the local RNLI put in, week in week out, all the training that goes into everything – but that event is something you can never train for.
“We know the crew, we drink with them, they use our businesses, we see their faces when they’re out and about. Nearly everyone in Withernsea has some relationship to the crew of the RNLI, and I think that’s played a big part in this.
“You see them, all through the winter, at sea training. They are out in the cold in all weathers, out in the dark, they are there, week in, week out, protecting everyone.
“They are in the background a lot of the time, going out to volunteer when they have been at work; going to work the next day when they’ve been on a callout.” Teresa said she thought people wanted to show they cared and no matter what anyone was able to give towards the cause, small or large, “everybody did what they could”.
“As a community, we were heartbroken, and we are heartbroken. It has had a devastating effect.
“People don’t really think of the impact of the RNLI when you live in a seaside town. They are there, ready to go, and hopefully this money will help them to be able to do that a little bit more.
“It’s been very humbling. Out of the sadness it’s come from, it’s nice to see what people are capable of.”
The raffle – the draw was hosted by Withernsea Boating Social Club with Withernsea RNLI crew members attending – with around 200 prizes donated, generated an auction, with the opportunity to make more of some of the bigger items. Bingo and also a series of tombolas were held, with which local teenager Alfie Palmer and his mum, Beth Holmes, were a big help, said Teresa.
“Alfie’s done these tombolas in the supermarket. He’s been sat there on a Sunday behind the stall.”
Alfie was also of help when “Stephen the seagull”, a giant stuffed toy that was being auctioned off, went missing temporarily. The teen tracked him down to where some other gifted Teddies were being stored.
A spokesperson for Withernsea lifeboat crew said: “On behalf of Withernsea RNLI, we want to express our sincere gratitude for the remarkable £20,000+ raised through the recent raffle draw. This is an incredible achievement and a real reflection of the generosity and community spirit that surrounds our town.
“Every penny raised will directly support our lifeboat station here in Withernsea. The funds will be used to help train new crew, provide more lifesaving equipment and contribute towards the essential running costs that keep our volunteers ready to launch at a moment’s notice.
“We will also be exploring options to purchase additional specialist training aids to further support our crew’s development. We are incredibly thankful to Teresa and everyone who supported the fundraiser.
“Their hard work and dedication will make a real difference to our lifesaving work on the Withernsea coastline.”
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