STAFF AND STUDENTS Welcome HRH The Princess Royal ON visit to St. Donat’s BaY

The college welcomed HRH The Princess Royal at the start of April, on a visit to the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) in St. Donat’s Bay. The visit was part of her role as NCI Royal Patron.

The Princess Royal met the on-duty watchkeepers and students on the NCI Cadets CAS programme at the college, and received a comprehensive briefing on the programme and watchkeeping life at St. Donat’s seafront.

Two NCI Cadets talked through the history of search and rescue at UWC Atlantic, and Her Royal Highness viewed one of the original B-Class RIBs designed at the college. The visit ended with HRH The Princess Royal unveiling a plaque commemorating the opening of the NCI station.

Student duties on the NCI CAS programme include watchkeeping skills, incident response, VHF radio skills, and chart and map works. Aden, a first year student from Canada explains: “Being a cadet with NCI has been intellectually and emotionally fulfilling. We are not just learning useful skills; we have the potential to have a direct, positive impact on a person’s life. After UWC, I hope to train in emergency medicine and work with an NGO like Médecins Sans Frontières in combat zones around the world.”