A HUSBAND and wife have been honoured for their work with the Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA).

Virginia and Haydn Lyall have each given 10 years’ support to the volunteer-run organisation which responds to emergencies on land and on the water along the Severn Estuary.

Haydn works on communications in the control room at Beachley and Virginia is a fund-raiser and gives talks in schools.

They were among the volunteers who turned out for SARA’s annual open day at Beachley on Sunday (June 26) which was well-supported despite less-than-ideal weather.

The association’s chairman, Chris Crowley, said: “As an organisation we depend on volunteers and they are all of equal value.

“We are grateful to people like Haydn and Virginia who give their time to support SARA.”

There are approximately 68 volunteers at the Beachley station, which covers an area from Newport to Sharpness, and call-outs

are currently averaging about one a week.

The open day included a rescue demonstration and gave the public chance to have a look around SARA’s base and the adjoining coastguard station.

A number of SARA’s rescue craft were on display and there was also a chance to find out how rescuers prepare to get people off cliffs.