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Monday 10am - 4pm Friday 10am - 4pm Saturday 10am - 4pm Sunday 10am - 4pm

Wells RNLI

Keep up to date with the volunteer crew, lifeboats, fundraising, station events and water safety.

02/09/2026

Heading to Wells or Holkham this September? Save our monthly tide times before you set off.

Our coastline is beautiful, but the incoming tide can move quickly across the sands. Channels and drains can begin to fill long before high tide, leaving people and dogs cut off from the main beach.

To avoid tidal cut-off, make sure you are back on the main beach or dry land at least FOUR HOURS before Wells Bar high tide.

Please don’t wait until the water reaches you by then, your safe route back may already have disappeared.

Before heading out:
• Check the tide times
• Keep an eye on your surroundings and the incoming tide
• Carry a charged mobile phone
• Allow plenty of time to return to safety

If you become cut off, stay calm and stay dry. Do not attempt to cross deep or fast-flowing water. Call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

Enjoy our beautiful coastline this September – but please respect the tide.

28/08/2026

Wells RNLI and Coastguard put teamwork to the test in joint exercise

Our volunteer crew regularly train for the unexpected, and this week Wells RNLI joined forces with Wells Coastguard Rescue Team for a realistic exercise designed to test how we would respond to a serious incident along our coastline.

The scenario involved two paragliders who had come down in the sea. Members of our Wells RNLI visits team played the important role of members of the public on shore, spotting the casualties, raising the alarm and creating the added pressure of a concerned crowd, some of whom had entered the water in an attempt to help.

With casualties both in the water and on shore, the exercise gave both teams the opportunity to practise casualty care, recovering and moving people who may have sustained serious injuries, and transferring casualties safely between sea and land.

Exercises like this are incredibly valuable. Real emergencies rarely involve just one team, and training alongside our Coastguard colleagues allows us to practise communication, coordination and decision-making in a safe environment before those skills are needed for real.

It also gave our volunteer lifeboat crew the opportunity to work through a complex and developing situation under pressure, while testing the practical challenges of recovering an injured casualty from the water and bringing them safely ashore.

Every exercise finishes with a debrief, giving everyone involved the chance to discuss what worked well and what we can learn from. The overwhelming response from this one was just how useful and realistic it had been.

A huge thank you to Wells Coastguard Rescue Team for training alongside us, to our visits team for being such convincing members of the public, and to Norfolk Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club for generously donating wings which helped us make the scenario as realistic as possible.

Training together helps us work together so when the pager sounds and someone needs our help, we are ready.

27/08/2026

It’s becoming a bit of a habit for our Yellow Wellies quiz team!
Another quiz night and another win, this time in Gunthorpe. Our team once again put their general knowledge to the test and came out on top.

Even better, they donated their winnings straight back to Wells RNLI, turning their quiz-night success into support for our volunteer crew and helping us continue saving lives at sea.

A huge well done to the Yellow Wellies at this rate, other quiz teams might start getting nervous when they see them walk through the door!

Thank you to everyone at the Gunthorpe quiz night for a brilliant evening and for supporting Wells RNLI.

17/08/2026

As the new school term fast approaches, we’re celebrating the fabulous schools that support Wells RNLI and help us inspire a new generation of lifesavers.

Today, we want to say a huge thank you to the wonderful pupils, staff, parents and wider community at Ashwicken Primary School, who raised an incredible £2,089 for Wells RNLI during the last school year!

Throughout the year, the school held a fantastic series of fundraising events, and our Visits Team loved having the opportunity to join them and see first-hand the enthusiasm and support shown by the whole school.

We were even invited to take part in their talent show! While we’re not sure our Visits Team’s acting careers will be taking off any time soon, we’re very grateful that everyone kindly applauded our performance. Thankfully, our volunteers are far more talented at saving lives than they are at acting!

Every pound raised helps support the lifesaving work at Wells RNLI, helping to provide the training, lifeboats and essential equipment our volunteers need to be ready when the pager sounds.

As Ashwicken Primary School prepares for another school year, we want everyone there to know that they will always receive a very warm welcome at Wells RNLI. We are incredibly proud to have you as part of our station community.

Thank you for everything you did for us last school year, and good luck for the exciting new term ahead. We can’t wait to see what the next school year brings!

15/08/2026

Eight year old Bella has been busy knitting her gorgeous little kitties and making key rings to raise money for Wells RNLI, helping our volunteer crew continue saving lives at sea.

Alongside her mum, who runs Pappabelle Pasta Truck Bella has been attending events and selling her handmade creations to support our station. The time, care and effort she puts into every one makes her fundraising even more special.

What we love most is seeing a young person so passionate about supporting the RNLI. Bella is not only raising vital funds, she is inspiring a new generation of lifesavers and showing that you are never too young to make a difference.

Everyone at Wells RNLI thinks you are a superstar, Bella, and we are incredibly grateful to have you as part of our wonderful community of supporters.

So, if you spot Bella and her knitted kitties at an event, please stop by, say hello and show her some support. Every kitty and key ring sold is helping us to save lives at sea.

Thank you, Bella keep being brilliant!

11/08/2026

Marcus and Alanna French and the wonderful team at French's Fish Shop have not only been named among the best fish and chip shops in the country they’ve also officially been awarded a 10 out of 10 from the volunteers at Wells RNLI!

This evening, the team at French’s again very generously donated dinner for our volunteers, who had been working tirelessly for hours at the station to swap our SLARS (Shannon Launch and Recovery System) and ensure the station remained fully operational throughout.

It’s no easy task and takes a huge amount of time, patience, teamwork and dedication from our volunteers so a hot fish and chip supper was very gratefully received.

In fact, it might be the only thing guaranteed to make the crew room completely quiet!

We are incredibly fortunate at Wells RNLI to have such fantastic support from our local community and businesses. Gestures like this mean a great deal to our volunteers, and the generosity shown by local business owners across Wells never goes unnoticed.

A huge thank you to Marcus, Alanna and everyone at French’s for thinking of our crew and looking after them so well this evening. Your continued kindness and support for Wells RNLI is very much appreciated.

You will always be very welcome at the station with or without a delicious portion of chips in hand 💙

08/08/2026

Wells RNLI’s volunteer crew had a long night at sea on Thursday 6 August after launching to assist a 31ft yacht with three people onboard following engine failure.

HM Coastguard paged Wells RNLI at 5.43pm after a Pan Pan request was made. The yacht was approximately one mile south of the West Sheringham cardinal mark and, with light winds and a strong tidal set, was unable to make sufficient headway under sail.

Of particular concern was the yacht’s proximity to the seaweed farm, towards which the tide was carrying it. With limited manoeuvrability, the yacht also presented a potential navigational hazard to other vessels.

Our all-weather lifeboat Duke of Edinburgh launched at 6.38pm and was alongside the yacht at 6.55pm.
After assessing the situation, it was established that the yacht’s engine could not be repaired at sea. With no other suitable vessel or tug available to assist, allowing it to continue drifting was not considered a safe option.

Taking into account the strong tidal set, proximity to the seaweed farm, the navigational risk and the yacht’s inability to make safe progress under its own power, establishing a tow was deemed the safest option.

Lowestoft was identified as the nearest suitable safe haven where the yacht could be safely moored. Wells RNLI began the tow at 7.10pm and, after nearly five hours, safely handed it over to Lowestoft RNLI off Sea Palling at 11.42pm.

Our crew then made the journey back to Wells, with the lifeboat recovered, refuelled and ready for service again at 2.22am.

A huge thank you to our colleagues at Lowestoft RNLI for taking over the tow. This was a great example of RNLI crews working together to achieve the safest outcome for those requiring our assistance.

06/08/2026

A huge thank you to everyone at The Bridge Inn, Wisbech St Mary, for their incredible support of Wells RNLI.

Over the past year, the pub has organised quizzes, bingo nights, raffles and many other fundraising events, raising an amazing £1,000 for our volunteer lifeboat crews.

A special thank you goes to landlady Rita Gammon, who single-handedly runs the pub, and to Peter Boreham, whose enthusiasm and dedication have driven so many of these fantastic fundraising activities. Your hard work, along with the generosity of everyone who has attended and supported the events, has made a real difference.

As a charity that relies on voluntary donations, every pound raised helps us continue to save lives at sea, ensuring our volunteer crews have the training, equipment and lifeboats they need to answer the call, whenever it comes.

From everyone at Wells RNLI, thank you for your kindness, commitment and continued support. We are truly grateful.

04/08/2026

Wells RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat Duke of Edinburgh was requested to launch by HM Coastguard at 10.29am today, Tuesday 4 August, to assist a 26ft motor cruiser with two people onboard which had broken down offshore of Wells harbour.

The casualty vessel had no means of propulsion and was drifting in the seaway. With no other suitable vessel in the area able to assist, there was a risk it would continue to drift further seaward and was becoming a navigational hazard to other vessels.

Wells RNLI all-weather lifeboat launched from the north slipway at 10.45am and proceeded towards the casualty vessel, which was visible from the boathouse.

Wells RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew arrived at 10.54am and placed crew member Gary Yarham onboard the motor cruiser to assess the situation. After considering the vessel’s position, the conditions, the direction of drift and the lack of alternative assistance, it was decided that establishing a tow was the safest course of action for those onboard and other vessels using the area.

A tow was established at 11.02am and the motor cruiser was taken back to the safety of Blakeney harbour.

At 12.11pm, the vessel was safely secured to its mooring and the lifeboat was stood down by HM Coastguard.

Wells RNLI Shannon lifeboat returned to Wells and was ashore on the beach east of the boathouse at 12.55pm. It was then washed down, refuelled and rehoused before being made ready for service again at 1.50pm.

Address

Wells Lifeboat Station
Wells Next The Sea
NR231DR

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	10am - 4pm
Sunday	10am - 4pm

Telephone

+441328710230

Website

http://www.wellslifeboat.org/

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