The Dart Royal National Lifeboat Institution have appealed for donations to fund their new station.

The association hope to raise £1.2m to move to Ferry View House, the original Dart lifeboat station, and are appealing to the public to help in anyway they can.

Their current station is a temporary building at the end of its lease, based a quarter of a mile from the launch site, and they hope to return to Ferry View House, which was established in the 1800s, which means they would be returning to the place where their lifesaving story began.

A spokesperson said of the team: “Dart RNLI is one of the busiest lifeboat stations in Devon, on call to emergencies in the Dart Estuary all the way up to Totnes and out to sea. Facing fast-moving water, constant traffic on the river, a tidal estuary, and coastal conditions like swell and exposure to the elements, the lifeboat crew respond to all kinds of rescues. But they can’t do it alone.

“These brave volunteers rely on the generous support of caring people.

“Your kind donation today will help shave precious minutes off launch times as the new building is directly opposite a slipway – crucial when lives are on the line.”

At the current, temporary, lifeboat station, the crew have to drive their D class lifeboat a quarter of a mile across a park that can get very muddy and two main roads to launch it. If the team are successful in raising this money, they will be able to return to a purpose-built station with all the proper facilities.

Volunteer Helm Rich Eggleton said: “'Launching across main roads and a sometimes very muddy park can be a challenge. Our new location will resolve this and massively reduce launch times.

“At the moment, we get changed in the boat hall and, when the roller shutters go up, you get blasted by the elements. It's like getting kitted up outside. Imagine that at 2am in winter!

“The new station site is going to make life a lot easier and safer. We're really looking forward to having a permanent home, with everything in the right place. We've never really had that. It will give everyone a sense of security that we're here to stay and can carry on saving lives.”

Any donation is gratefully received by the Dart service, the first station of which station served between 1878-96. The station they are currently using opened in 2007.

Rob Clements, Fundraiser and Former Lifeboat Operations Manager, said of the move:

“It would be like coming home. The crew may operate the kit, but it will be your station as much as ours - for the whole community.”

You can donate to the appeal at https://rnli.org/news-and-media/2022/november/24/help-dart-rnli-to-return-home-12m-fundraising-appeal-for-new-lifeboat-station