Martin Wrigley Celebrates Dedication of Teignmouth Coastwatch Volunteers

Local Liberal Democrat MP Martin Wrigley has paid tribute to the vital work of the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) volunteers at the Teignmouth Coastwatch Station, acknowledging their dedication and critical role in maritime safety.

The visit, at the invitation of Station Manager James Campbell, saw Martin tour the Lookout at Eastcliffe. During the visit, Martin presented a long service certificate to David Careswell, Watchkeeper and Rota manager, marking his 10 years of continuous volunteering.

Martin said: NCI is one of the voluntary organisations that form the backbone of the Search and Rescue community around our coast, in conjunction with the RNLI and Coastguard Rescue Teams. They are truly the ‘Eyes and Ears along the coast’. I was delighted to visit and to applaud the team’s work.”

The National Coastwatch Institution was founded in 1994 to restore a visual watch along the UK coastline following the closure of most small Coastguard stations. The first station opened at Bass Point on The Lizard after two Cornish fishermen lost their lives below a recently closed lookout.

Today, NCI operates 60 stations across the British Isles. Each station is manned by fully trained volunteers who maintain a daylight watch up to 365 days a year, using modern equipment including telescopes, radar, and marine VHF radios.

The organisation also noted its increasing role as part of the national Resilience effort, providing a continuous visual and radio watch and acting as a visible, uniformed presence for the public on matters of coastal safety and security.