AS towns across Northern Ireland turn their attention to Christmas and the switching on of lights, Progressive Building Society is helping encourage the public to switch on this Christmas to the life-saving charity of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
Progressive is helping to continue the valuable local service that the RNLI provides from lifeboat stations, by hosting an RNLI Christmas Shop of Christmas cards, calendars and diaries within all of its branches.
In 2011, the local lifeboat station in Bangor launched 45 times and rescued 45 people; and collectively all of the Northern Ireland lifeboat stations recorded 259 launches which rescued 201 people.
The local Bangor and the Ards branch of Progressive Building Society is just two of twelve Progressive Building Society outlets across Northern Ireland that have the products available for sale this year. The RNLI Christmas Shops are open inside branches until Saturday 15th December 2012 (stocks permitting.)
“The success of the RNLI Christmas shops within our branches over the last number of years has seen the shop roll out across Progressive Building Society whole network of branches and allows us to continue our support of the life-saving work of the RNLI,” said Elaine Molyneaux, Branch Manager of Progressive’s Bangor branch. “The Bangor branch’s employees are looking forward to getting into the Christmas spirit in the name of charity.”
Donald Christian, RNLI’s Regional Retail Manager for Northern Ireland, said: “All proceeds from the sale of RNLI items through Progressive will raise valuable funds to help us continue to run the lifeboat service that operates across the UK and Ireland, by providing the resources to keep the equipment for the lifeboat stations up-to-date and as effective as possible.
“Thank you, on behalf of RNLI volunteers who are willing to launch the lifeboats to meet emergencies around the coast of Northern Ireland day or night 365 days a year, even on Christmas day. You have helped them save lives at sea.”
