Now in its 7th year, the 2025 Yarmouth Festival of Sea Songs in May raised £6,500 for The Needles Coastwatch (NCI) station – a cheque for which was handed over at Yarmouth Harbour on 11 July.
At the handover presentation were (Left to Right): Harbour Master Tim Adams, Festival Treasurer Chris Beane, Needles Coastwatch Station Manager Charlotte Raynor, Festival Chairman Chris Waddington and Wightlink Partnership Marketing Manager Sam Woodman.
Receiving the cheque, station manager, Charlotte Raynor, thanked the YSSF and said: “This fantastic contribution effectively covers about half of our annual running costs for the year, enabling our amazing team of volunteers to concentrate on staffing the station and providing ‘eyes on the sea’, helping to keep our local waters safe for all users.”
In turn, the Chair of the YSSF, Chris Waddington, thanked all the volunteers from the Needles NCI for their help in supporting the free Festival of Sea Songs by staffing the car park, selling programmes and collecting donations – all vital to making the festival work. He also highlighted the valued support given by the Yarmouth Harbour Commissioners, Wightlink, Island Ales and other contributors – particularly all the performers who gave their time freely and the generous donations made at the festival. He also paid tribute to the small group of volunteers who organize and run this unique free festival.
Plans for the 2026 Yarmouth Sea Songs Festival are progressing apace and will again run over the May Bank Holiday weekend which will be from 22 – 25 May.
