Video: YorkMix teams up to support the York Rescue Boat heroes

We’re thrilled to announce today that YorkMix has become official patrons of the heroes at York Rescue Boat.

The team, who have been saving lives for the past six years, asked if we would become patrons – and we were delighted and honoured to accept.

It means that YorkMix and YorkMix Radio will be supporting all the charity’s activities both on and off the water.

Dave Horn, at York Rescue Boat, told breakfast show presenters Ben Fry and Laura Castle why they wanted to team up.

“We were looking for an organisation that wanted to put as much back into York as we do – and YorkMix ticked all the boxes for us.”

Run entirely by volunteers, the idea forYork Rescue Boat began in 2014 after a series of river tragedies in the city.

Since becoming operational a year later, the team has undertaken 200 call-outs operating 24/7, and attended 500 incidents.

And they have saved a lot of lives. “We’ve got a very tight definition of what we class as a lifesaving incident – it’s got to be a positive intervention that was taken ourselves.

“On that basis we’ve saved 25 people’s lives.”

Keeping York safe

Dave said their job was to make the rivers in York “as safe as we possibly can”. They can be called out at 3am – but still go in to their day jobs after the incident is over.

Fundraiser in chief Dawn Carlin said people could do all sorts to raise money for York Rescue Boat – hold a raffle, join in one of their fundraising events, or simply donate at the link above.

Every penny goes to supporting the amazing work of the team, none of whom are paid.

YorkMix Radio’s Ben said: “We can support events, we host events, we can shout about what you’re doing.

“We’ve already heard some of Dawn’s ideas that we can get involved with – and in the next 12 months there will be some amazing ways to support York Rescue Boat.”

So watch this space!