PUPILS at an inner-city London school are backing the Ceredigion Lifeboat Campaign after studying the possible impact of the RNLI’s planned changes to the lifeboat service in their maths and English lessons.

Year 8 pupils at Harris Academy St John’s Wood have spent the summer term studying the facts and figures of future lifeboat coverage in Cardigan Bay after the issue was ‘flagged up’ by maths teacher Alexandra Lay, a keen kayaker and former Aberystwyth University student.

“I first saw the Ceredigion Lifeboat Campaign as an opportunity to teach loci to my Year 8s with a real purpose and real-life application,” she said.

The move follows the RNLI’s shock announcement in June 2017 to replace New Quay’s all-weather lifeboat with a smaller, inshore Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat which critics claim would be unable to launch when conditions exceed storm force 6-7.

The RNLI maintain that a 2016 review concluded that having 25-knot Shannon class all-weather lifeboats at Barmouth and Pwllheli would provide a "comprehensive" lifesaving service without the need to station an all-weather lifeboat at New Quay.

Yet to date, over 25,000 people have signed a petition opposing the RNLI’s plan and the campaign has gained the support of a number of prominent politicians and public figures.

“The children found the project exciting and challenging,” said Ms Lay.

“We really hope that our work has an impact.

“Through engaging with the Ceredigion Lifeboat Campaign and studying all of the related facts and figures, my pupils began to feel a real sense of empathy for the New Quay community and wanted to do what they could to help save the New Quay all-weather lifeboat.”

See this week’s South Ceredigion paper for the full story, available in shops and as a digital edition now