History of the Coastguard Association

The founder branch of the Association was the Isle of Man Branch in 1974 and was formed by the Chief Coastguard at the time, the late John Douglas.

The aims were defined as follows: – The Coastguard Association was formed to, according to the Trust Deed, to “further the efficiency of the Coastguard service for the public benefit by the relief of serving and retired Regular and Volunteer Coastguards and their dependents who are suffering from real hardship and distress or illness, ill-health or injury”.

The National Committee Charity was bestowed upon the Association on the 15th of January 1980. To date although the Charity has brought welcome relief not only to individuals but also to families of seafarers injured or lost at sea. Even when monetary help is not required it is always a comfort to know that as a member the Coastguard Association you can turn and find friendship and sympathy in times of stress.

Today, our tag line is: The charity dedicated to supporting Coastguard personnel and their families in their time of need.

Our logo:

The Official Coastguard Association logo was created in the early 1990s by Penarth Coastguard in South Wales. The then Coastguard Association Chairman, Sector Officer Rab Taylor, and Deputy Auxiliary in Charge, Penarth, Anthony Ernest, also PRO for the Coastguard Association, sought the advice of a local Penarth based graphic designer and printer, Imprint, to come up with a logo based on the letters Coastguard Association.

Imprint produced an initial design, then modified by Rab and Anthony into the the final design of a yacht, whose sails incorporated each of the letters Coastguard Association, on the High Seas under Full Sail, surrounded by the words Coastguard Association within a hexagon inside a circle. The colour scheme adopted was yellow for the logo and the surrounds in light blue.

The design was adopted by the Coastguard Association National Committee on which Rab and Anthony were then active members, and has been used ever since on CGA letterheads, diaries, calendars and clothing, and has proved a popular and effective way of promoting the purpose and work of the Coastguard Association. Anthony Ernest. (R’td.) CRO 1968 – 1996.

In 2023, the Coastguard Association set off on a transitional period into the the future Coastguard Association to ensure the charity remains visible and relevant in today’s modern world.

This journey remains ongoing and is aimed to ensure the longevity of the charity while always remembering our rich history.

Our Funds

We do not receive any Government or business grants, and depend entirely on voluntary donations.  The Fund is subject to a full annual audit from the Charity Commissioners. We also present a full financial report at our Annual General Meeting each year, held during the month of March, to which all are welcome.

The Trustees and the operating committee are all volunteers, most of whom are either current or former serving Coastguard Rescue Officers. This keeps our administrative expenditure low compared to other charities. The current chairman Stuart Arundel is an ex deputy Station officer at Donna Nook Coastguard Coastguard Rescue Team and the Vice Chairman is a retired Coastguard Rescue Officer at Withernsea.

The Coastguard Association has the full support of the  Maritime and Coastguard Agency 

HM Coastguard

HM Coastguard was officially started on the 15th January 1822 – can you find out more about HM Coastguard at Home | HM Coastguard UK

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