The National Coastwatch Institution (NCI), which opened a station in Minehead last year, is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

NCI is using the opportunity to put each of its 60 stations on the map and encourage even more local people to join in and support the cause.

By organising a flag relay from station to station around the coast of England and Wales, it hopes to raise awareness of the NCI’s life-saving work.

Minehead station manager Simon Booth said: “The relay is about having some fun, raising awareness of our work, and hopefully raise some vital funds as well.

“Volunteers Week, when the relay started, was the perfect time to kick it off.”

The NCI flag arrived and was hoisted on the Minehead station’s flag pole this week before being taken on by one of the volunteers to the next station along the coast at Boscastle, in Cornwall.

Mr Booth said: “I would like to thank the Minehead volunteer watchkeepers who turned up to support this rewarding event.

“We are very grateful to Sirius Insight for their sponsorship and support of our anniversary event.

“It is part of a growing relationship and shared philosophy and approach to improving public safety along our coastline.”

Coastwatch volunteer watchkeepers help to keep people safe and save lives at sea by maintaining a daily visual and radio watch of the coast, looking out for anybody in potential danger.

Watchkeepers report any coastal safety-related incidents to the Coastguard so expert help can be sent, including the Coastguard rescue teams and helicopters, the RNLI and independent lifeboats, and other emergency services.

The NCI started in 1994 at Bass Point, in Cornwall, when, following the closure in 1994 of the last manned Coastguard station there, two local fishermen lost their lives at sea in the area.

Local residents came together and reopened the station on a voluntary basis, and so the NCI was started.

It now has 60 stations along the coast of England and Wales and more than 2,600 volunteers.

The Minehead NCI station operates from purpose-built premises on the sea front opposite Butlin’s holiday resort.