Holland America Line (HAL) has donated £3,500 to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in a Devon resort after four of its ships spent months docked off the south coast during Covid last year.
The Torbay community organised hampers for crew on Nieuw Statendam, Westerdam, Zaandam and Volendam with gifts for them to open last Christmas.
The ships also sounded their horns when anchored off torbay on Remembrance Sunday last year to mark the beginning of the two-minute silence to salute the servicemen and women who gave their lives in conflict.
A year on, HAL has organised a donation to the Torbay RNLI.
UK managing director Lynn Narraway met RNLI manager Andy Wright and fundraiser Lynn Spillett on Wednesday to make the donation.
Using pictures of the HAL ships and other cruise vessels docked off Torbay coast, resident Caroline Sleeman created a calendar – called Cruise ships of Torbay and Lime Bay – to raise funds for the RNLI.
HAL’s ships will call into Bristol, Portland, Falmouth and Ilfracombe next year.
Pictured: Lynn Narraway (left) with Lynn Spillett and resident Louise Stafford