S-FABS race to victory in support of the Selsey RNLI

Sunday 3^rd to Sunday 11^th August 2025 saw the return of Selsey Lifeboat Week, a series of events celebrating and fundraising for the Selsey Lifeboat Station. The station is a crucial part of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), a charity dedicated to saving lives at sea since 1824.

Whether on land or out on the Sussex waters, local businesses and residents came together for a variety of activities throughout the week, culminating in Selsey’s annual Lifeboat Day on 11^th August.

S-FABS, a family-run steel fabrication company, regularly fundraise for the RNLI Selsey and several of their employees volunteer at the lifeboat station. So, when they received the dates for this year’s Lifeboat Week, participating in some way was a no-brainer.

Thomas Male, Commercial Director at S-FABS said, “We feel incredibly lucky to have the Selsey RNLI services available, no matter the hour, for the safety of everyone at sea. As a local business on the water’s edge, the least we can do is help ensure they have the much-needed funds required to make this exceptional service possible.”

Selsey Lifeboat Day included live entertainment, fairground rides, local community stalls, fireworks and ­– perhaps the most anticipated feature – a raft race, where ten teams took to the very waters the lifeboat station monitors for a fast-paced race in self-made rafts.

One of these teams was made up by six S-FABS employees. After much preparation, the team proudly pushed their oars through the water with hundreds of spectators cheering them on from the beach.

Opting to minimise their impact when building their raft, S-FABS borrowed key equipment from two local businesses – a builder and a farmer. And they clearly put their combined craftmanship skills to good work, because their raft crossed the finish line in first place.

Delighted with their win, the S-FABS team expressed how the trophy will only spur them on to continue supporting the charity.

The Selsey Lifeboat Station provides the local community with a 24-hour search and rescue service, seasonal lifeguards and water safety initiatives. They rely solely on the support of volunteers and donations to power this lifesaving service, so events like the raft race – supported by local businesses like S-FABS ­– truly help RNLI stations to save lives at sea.