Saturday was a very important day for the lifeboat family of Tenby when the Lifeboat house on the Castle beach was recommissioned and the new inshore lifeboat was named the Kathleen Ann. But, prior to the celebration, another, very important member of Tenby’s lifeboat family, Doreen Mortimer was deservedly honoured. Jayne George, head of Fundraising for the RNLI in the UK presented Doreen with an Excellence in Volunteering Award.

Doreen has managed the RNLI shop in the boathouse for many years, and pre-Covid, had taken to the second most profitable RNLI shop in Britain. Only Whitby had higher figures.

The Tenby shop was closed during both lockdowns and for some time afterwards to keep the crew safe, but since opening this year in February, Jayne was delighted to announce that the takings had topped £100,000. Although Doreen has a team of volunteers backing her up, she is driving force that keeps sales rising, and whenever the fund-raising committee holds an event , she is there with her bucket. Indeed, she will be modelling at the RNLI Fashion Show being held in M&Co on Sunday afternoon at 4.30pm.

Huge congratulations go from all the shop volunteers and from the members of the fund-raising committee to this awesome lady: “Doreen, you are a star!”