Flamborough Lifeboat Treasurer Steps Down After Forty-Six Years

A dedicated volunteer who helped shape the modern Flamborough RNLI station has retired after nearly half a century of service to the lifesaving charity.

A remarkable forty-six-year chapter of voluntary lifesaving support has come to a close on the Yorkshire Coast.

Flamborough RNLI Treasurer Paul Arro has officially stepped down from his role, concluding a lifetime of dedication that helped transform the local lifeboat station's facilities and administrative operations.

A tragic local event initially sparked a lifelong passion for the charity. In August 1952, as a three-year-old boy, Mr Arro witnessed the aftermath of the Bridlington lifeboat capsize at Thornwick Bay. The incident, which occurred during a search for two missing swimmers, claimed the lives of sixteen-year-old girls Joan Ellis and Gillian Fox, alongside Bridlington Lifeboat Bowman Robert P Redhead. This early exposure fostered an interest in the RNLI that remained with him throughout his life.

Reflecting on his deep connection to the coast, Paul Arro said:

'Coming from a seafaring family, the sea, ships and boats have never been far from my thoughts. Perhaps sea salt runs through my veins.'

Decades of practical support began when he joined the Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society in 1969, followed by a move to the Flamborough Lifeboat Appeal Fund Committee in 1980. The committee successfully raised more than £126,000 to fund vital upgrades at North Landing. These improvements included slipway realignment, the construction of a new tractor house, and the provision of a crawler tractor ahead of the arrival of a thirty-seven-foot Oakley class lifeboat, The Will and Fanny Kirby, in January 1983.

Administrative duties soon became a primary focus. Mr Arro joined the station's Management Committee in July 1980, taking minutes for management meetings from 1983 onwards. He became Flamborough's first Honorary Press Officer when the charity introduced the role in 1988, before taking up the position of Treasurer in November 1991.

Significant fundraising milestones were achieved alongside his wife, Sylvia. The couple managed the North Landing souvenir shop between 1991 and 1993, building it into a highly successful fundraising venture while both maintained full-time employment. Later, his 2021 book, Safe Within The Lifeboat, detailing the station's history from 1871 to 1993, generated strong sales. He presented a £1,000 cheque from the book's profits to the station in September 2022.

Decades of service earned him the RNLI Silver Award for twenty years of volunteering, followed by a Long Service Medal in 2021 to mark forty years of outstanding commitment. The global pandemic meant the latter award was delivered by post rather than presented at an official ceremony.

Looking back on his extensive tenure working alongside generations of volunteer crews and five different lifeboat operations managers, Paul Arro said:

'I have put in a very long shift and thoroughly enjoyed my time working for Flamborough Lifeboat Station. It has been an immense pleasure to be involved and to serve such a great station. Lifeboats have been a big part of my life for so many years and that interest will hopefully continue.'

Colleagues at the RNLI Support Centre in Poole have also praised his meticulous approach. Finance Supervisor Kelly Hunt noted that his thoughtful questions over the years helped improve her own understanding of the organisation's financial systems, stating he had done far more than the charity could ever have hoped for. Finance Volunteer Support Manager Lisa Shevill highlighted that he was one of the few treasurers to remain in post throughout her entire thirty-year career.

Lifeboat Operations Manager for Flamborough RNLI, Captain David Freeman, said:

'On behalf of everyone at Flamborough RNLI, we would like to thank Paul for his outstanding dedication, commitment and unwavering support over the past 46 years. His knowledge, professionalism and passion for the station have been invaluable, and his contribution to the RNLI has left a lasting legacy.'

'Paul will be sorely missed in his role as Treasurer, his years of service have helped shape the station we know today. We wish Paul and Sylvia a long, happy and well deserved retirement, and we look forward to welcoming them back to the station whenever they visit. Once part of the RNLI family, always part of the RNLI family.'