Barry volunteer Liz Matthews has been honoured by the RNLI for her decades of voluntary work.
Ms Matthews has been involved with lifesaving at sea since her childhood years and fondly recalled her days polishing the boats before she was old enough to head out onto the water. In recent years, Ms Matthews has coordinated the educational visits from schools and youth groups. The number of visits of this nature has seen a recent spike thanks to the opening of the RNLI Visitors Centre on Barry Island – the only one of its type in the UK.
The local members of the RNLI gathered in the lifeboat station in Barry Docks to surprise Liz with an award for her decades of work. The event was Liz’s first time returning to the lifeboat station in several months after spending a considerable amount of time in hospital suffering from a life-threatening illness. The members, including her daughter Abigail Phillips and grandchildren, welcomed her return to the lifeboat station, saying it had been “empty” without her there to coordinate the educational visits.
Both Jane Hutt AM and Rt Hon Alun Cairns MP were in attendance for Liz’s surprise celebration. Mr Cairns said, “When I heard that Liz was unwell, I was gravely concerned. She is a caring, selfless and hardworking woman and I am delighted to see her home from hospital and back in the lifeboat station. If there is anyone who deserves to be honoured by the RNLI, it is Liz!”