The objective of the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) is to assist in the protection and preservation of life at sea and along the UK coastline. The organisation is a Registered Charity (Charity Number 1159975) and is run entirely by volunteers. There are 60 stations around the coastline of England and Wales and over 2700 volunteers nationally.

The closest station to Hunstanton is located at Brancaster, behind the Royal West Norfolk Golf Club. It was established as a permanent site in April 2022 when a second-hand RNLI Lifeguard station was donated to serve as the station look-out. Due to the potentially dangerous strong-flowing currents in the area, together with Scolt Head Island – an area which has historically required a high volume of Lifeboat call-outs – the Coastguard and RNLI together requested the NCI station to be set up at Brancaster. 

At Brancaster station, we work closely with the RNLI at Hunstanton as without each other both organisations would be much less effective. We are all part of the maritime Search and Rescue team, working with HM Coastguard and the Border Force. As in any team, we are only as strong as the weakest link, therefore continuous training is essential to maintain operational effectiveness. Our volunteer numbers have grown from zero at the beginning of 2022 to 31 active members in April 2024. Our objective is to extend our hours of operation and therefore we continue to look for more volunteers who are able to commit to a regular watch of up to 4 hours each week.

In terms of funding, NCI receive zero financial support from the government, meaning we rely entirely on grants, fundraising and donations from our supporters. NCI Brancaster have recently raised funds to replace the old dilapidated Lifeguard look-out with a new, larger, leak-free unit now equipped with a Weather Station and a Web Camera – both of which are available for the general public to view via the NCI Brancaster web-site.

Our Station Manager, John Allen, was honoured to receive recognition on behalf of Brancaster station as they were awarded (jointly with St Donats Bay station) the annual Alan Richards award for the station which has made an outstanding contribution to NCI nationally.

The support of local organisations and the community in the area is absolutely critical for the continued success of the station. Donations and fundraising generally is essential for the upkeep of the new station. Support from events such as the Hunstanton Tennis Tournament are key in enabling us to keep our station operational and effective. We are so very grateful to the organisers of the event and to everyone who has contributed.