Paint firm helps give Watch House new look with donation of paint

The Grade II listed historic Watch House of the South Shields Volunteer Life Brigade on the South Pier is one of the oldest all wooden Victorian buildings in Britain and it requires regular painting to maintain and conserve this unique structure.

Akzonobel of Felling is supporting the latest project to re-paint Watch House which has served as the headquarters of South Shields Volunteer Life Brigade since 1867.

Members of Friends of the Brigade have now started the re-painting project after weeks of preparation work and thanks to Akzonobel they are using specially prepared paints to give the building a brand-new look and to protect it from the weather.

The re-painting of the building requires 60 litres of the main colour sand colour, 10 litres of blue and 5 litres of exterior white gloss. Azkonobel has kindly donated all of the paint as well as brushes, rollers and other equipment.

The firm also provided technical advice on the best paint system for a wooden building in this exposed seafront location and has previously supported the work of South Shields Volunteer Life Brigade with a donation of £1,000 from the Akzo Nobel Community Fund.

Akzonobel staff will have the opportunity to get involved as volunteers as the painting project progresses. 

The work is being done in phases over the coming months and the biggest challenge will be to prepare and paint the upper sections of the Watch House.

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Tom Fennelly, Honorary Secretary of the Brigade, said: “The support of Akzonobel in supplying the paint and materials as well as technical advice has made the project possible.

"Members and supporters have been enthusiastically getting on with the massive re-painting task and are greatly encouraged by the firm’s generosity.”

South Shields Volunteer Life Brigade has been providing a coastal search and rescue unit along South Tyneside's cliffs, beaches and riverside for in an unbroken record of continuous service for over 157 years.

On average the Brigade is called out about 120 times a year. So far, this year the team has responded to 67 emergency callouts, including a number of fatalities.

The Volunteer Life Brigade is a Registered Charity (Reg. No. 1052343) and relies entirely on voluntary donations, fundraising efforts and grants from charitable bodies to meet is annual running costs.

Everyone is an unpaid volunteer and it costs about £1,000 to fully equip an operational team member.

The Brigade celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2016 and the following year received the Freedom of the Borough of South Tyneside. In 2021 the Brigade received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service with special recognition for its work during the pandemic.

READ MORE: Readhead Park to host event to mark 100th anniversary

The Brigade anticipate having to engage a contractor to provide access platform equipment and at least one or two operatives to pain the upper parts of the building 

An estimated 100,00 people visit the South Shields seafront every year and the refurbished exterior will have a great impact on the visual amenity of this unique building

Anyone who may wish to help with the Brigade’s JustGiving appeal can go to https://www.justgiving.com/southshieldsvolunteerlifebrigadeuk