Coastguard New Zealand, like all charities, relies on generous public donations to ensure volunteers can continue our mission of saving lives at sea. For Neil Naran and Shirley-Anne Williams, seeing Coastguard volunteers helping boaties in their own backyard led them to make a substantial $50,000 donation from the sale of their majestic waterfront property.

The 26-hectare north-facing headland property at Cape Rodney on Leigh Peninsula just north of Auckland comprises some 1.5 kilometres of coastline real estate. This outlook along one of New Zealand’s busiest coastlines saw Neil and Shirley-Anne connect with the work that Coastguard volunteers do, helping Kiwis no matter the conditions nor time of day.

In late May, Coastguard welcomed Neil and Shirley-Anne to our Mechanic’s Bay base to experience what volunteers do every day - out there in all weathers, all year round, saving lives at sea.

“[From our home] we saw lots of boats that past by and we did see people in difficulty at times and we realised that Coastguard do an incredible job rescuing those that get into trouble,” Shirley-Anne explained.

“We only went out [with Coastguard] for a short time, but it brought to my attention the vast amount of coastline that we are surrounded with, and the number of boats that are in New Zealand,” Neil said.

Coastguard New Zealand Chief Executive Callum Gillespie said: “Coastguard is delighted to receive this generous gift.”

“The lighthouse at Leigh has kept boaties safe for decades and the gift to Coastguard arising from the sale of the property continues this tradition and will help save lives at sea long into the future.”

How you can help Coastguard

Coastguard is a charity that receives limited funding from the Government. Donations have a significant impact - paying for training, rescue gear and support for our volunteers. With over 2,000 volunteers around the country and, on average, 60 call-outs each and every week, the role of our supporters is simply essential. We could not do what we do without your help.

If you would like more information about donating to Coastguard or leaving a gift in your Will to Coastguard, click here or contact Sue Morse to discuss how your gift can help. Call Sue on 021 746 257 or 09 303 4303 (option 4).

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