Peel RNLI has received a £3,750 donation from Seaboard Trading after staff voted to select the company as the lifeboat station's official charity partner for the year.

The company is part of Seaboard Overseas and Trading Group, an international agribusiness involved in the trading, processing and logistics of agricultural commodities including wheat, maize, soybeans and related products.

Seaboard Trading representatives Matthew Bird, Alan Hoppers and Charlotte Clarke recently visited Peel Lifeboat Station, where they watched the launch of the town's Shannon-class all-weather lifeboat, Frank and Brenda Winter.

Ms Clarke said the team had enjoyed the evening and learning more about the work carried out by the RNLI.

Paul Thompson, lifeboat operations manager at Peel RNLI, added: ‘It was my pleasure to welcome the Seaboard team to Peel Lifeboat Station, so that they could see first hand how their gift will support our lifesaving operations.

‘On behalf of all of the crew here, I wanted to thank everyone at Seaboard for their generous donation and their support of the RNLI.’

The RNLI relies on donations and community support to maintain its lifeboats, train volunteer crews and ensure lifesaving equipment is available when required.

The charity says the costs associated with equipping and training its crews can be significant.

Based on 2024 figures, a lifejacket costs £620, while layered clothing and boots for one crew member cost £1,600. A helmet costs £350 and the average training cost per crew member is £1,360.

The donation from Seaboard will contribute towards Peel RNLI's ongoing lifesaving operations and the equipment and training required by its volunteer crew.

Anyone wishing to make a donation to the RNLI can visit https://rnli.org/support-us/give-money/donate, or if you would like to specifically donate to Peel Lifeboat Station, you can contact the station by emailing [email protected]