Port St Mary Lifeboat station received a welcome gesture on its recent annual Lifeboat Day: a ?500 donation from Friends Provident International (FPI).

FPI's General Manager Jonathan Hall comments, 'As a resident of Port St Mary I know that the RNLI is an integral part of the local community.' 

'The organisation is manned entirely by volunteers, who deserve our admiration and support.  They provide an absolutely essential service.'

The Port St Mary lifeboat station, one of five on the Isle of Man, has provided continued service for the past 110 years.

Today, the station provides search and rescue for both leisure and commercial vessels, operating both an in-shore and an all-weather lifeboat. 

Branch Chairman Russell Armstrong praised FPI’s commitment: 'We are extremely grateful for the on-going backing that Friends Provident International provides to the RNLI.

'We rely entirely on donations, there is no Government assistance, so this is a very welcome gesture.' 

Castletown-based Friends Provident International is one of the largest employers in the south of the Island and has been a leading player in the financial services industry for over 30 years.

Pictured: Jonathan Hall, General Manager of Friends Provident International, presenting a cheque for ?500 to Russell Armstrong, the RNLI’s Port St Mary Branch Chairman.