For more news and information please visit our Facebook Page
To see Christmas cards received from our NCI colleagues across the country, click on theLookout!
NCI Hengistbury Head wish all our NCI colleagues, emergency services partners, local agencies we work with and our supporters and friends a peaceful, safe and healthy Christmas, and very best wishes for 2025.
Thank you for everything you’ve done that has made it possible for us to continue to assist HMCG in protecting lives at sea and around the coastline.
A Thank You to Burley Literary Society
On the 17th December, a wonderfully atmospheric lamp-lit Burley Village Hall was transported back in time, as Burley Bookends (Burley Literary Society) presented ‘A Forest Christmas’ in Burley. The West Gallery Quire threw themselves into treating the audience to a joyful lively mixture of words, music, folk songs, carols, laughter and humorous swordplay accompanied by roars of laughter from the audience, with the atmosphere further enhanced by mulled wine and mince pies. The evening’s programme ended with a communal ‘Merry Christmas’ singalong, all left with lifted spirits and a peaked interest in the Forest’s Christmas past. A raffle was held with enthusiastic participation raising a goodly sum for HHNCI. Our appreciation and a huge thank you to everyone involved, especially Robin P and Ginny D who organised and presented the evening.

Win an a £3000 Christmas Bonus
Be in the draw on Saturday 21st December and win a £3000 Christmas Bonus!
The BH Coastal Lottery Christmas blockbuster Super Draw is BACK this festive season, and is spreading some holiday cheer! If you already play and support Hengistbury Head National Coastwatch you’re already in with a chance to win a whopping £3,000 Christmas cash bonus on Saturday 21st December – but you can always top up your tickets for extra chances to win, or perhaps play and support us for the first time!

Remember there are weekly Cash Prizes up to the £25,000 Jackpot too!
To be in with a chance of winning and also support our Lookout, click here:- BH Coastal Lottery, see the Current Offer – ‘Win a £3000 CHRISTMAS CASH BONUS’. The possibilities for spending your prize are endless: Home looking a little tired? Spruce up your living space with a New Year’s makeover! Into Tech and Gadgets? Upgrade your gadgets or treat yourself to the latest tech innovations. Hit the January sales! Visit the shops and indulge in a shopping spree, treating yourself and your loved ones to special gifts and holiday essentials. Fancy a getaway? Plan the vacation you’ve always dreamed of, whether it’s an escape to a winter wonderland or planning ahead for some summer sun. Or why not give a little back? Spread the joy by giving back to your favourite charities, contributing to a cause that holds a special place in your heart, or even planting trees!
Buy your tickets, for your chance to ‘win a £3000 Christmas Bonus’.
(Please read the T&Cs – you need to be happy with the publicity that’s going to follow the win.)
BH Coastal Lottery is an exciting weekly lottery that raises money for good causes in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
A draw takes place every Saturday and a 6 digit winning combination will be picked. Winners are notified via email. Match all 6 and you win the JACKPOT! A top prize of £25,000 is possible.
Become a Friend of Hengistbury Head NCI and support us by purchasing tickets on a regular basis, information with a link to BH Coastal Lottery can be found on our Friends page.
Tickets can also be purchased without becoming a Friend via our Support page.
However you support us, thank you!
The Christchurch Living Advent Calendar event on the 16th December was another festive and very enjoyable occasion.
Once again, our immense thanks and gratitude to Christchurch Rotary and particularly to our main sponsor The Primrose Charity Trust for their support. Also, as per last year, thanks go to Ye Old George Inn for allowing us to use their pub function area for the night’s well attended presentation.
A massive thank you to everyone else who helped on the day and made it such a success; thank you for coming along, donating, buying raffle tickets and cheering us on.
To all our supporters, however you support us, thank you.
Kelvin and Pippa M-J, from The Primrose Charity Trust, are pictured handing over a cheque for £500 pounds to Peter H, Station Manager, for which we are extremely grateful. Alongside them can be seen Peter B, from Christchurch Rotary.




Photographs of the evening Courtesy of Watchkeeper Terry S.
16th December 2024 – A date for your Christmas diary
Living Advent Calendar returns to Christchurch
with NCI Hengistbury Head once again a chosen charity

Christchurch Living Advent Calendar
At the invitation of Christchurch Rotary Club, NCI Hengistbury Head is once again honoured to be one of the 24 local charities to benefit from the Christchurch Living Advent Calendar (CLAC).
Our day in the CLAC schedule is Monday 16th December



Our venue is Ye Old George Inn, 2A Castle Street, Christchurch
Dorset
BH23 1DT . There will be entertainment! All to be revealed when the doors open at 18:00!
The concept of a Living Advent Calendar was born in Sweden in 2005 and came to the UK, initially in Henley-on-Thames, thirteen years ago. You can read all about this event which runs from the 1st to 24th December at https://christchurchlivingadventcalendar.org.uk/
There will be a fabulous raffle with High Value Prizes!
Raffle tickets will cost £1 each or £5 a strip.
These can be purchased on the day from our smiling, uniformed, volunteer Watchkeepers at the frontage of the Inn. What’s not to love! We look forward to seeing you all on the day and thank you for your continued support of our Station.


We will be receiving a donation from tonight’s (and main Living Advent Calendar sponsor), The Primrose Trust, for which we are extremely grateful. A massive thank you to them!
HHNCI Passes Annual Declared Facility Assessment
Friday 15th November was the date of our annual Declared Facility Status assessment, we are glad to advise that we passed with flying colours. This confirms that HM Coastguard continue to officially recognised HHNCI as an integral member of the Maritime Search and Rescue Emergency Services. What a team we have at NCI Hengistbury Head!

Our 2025 Calendar is available now!
We are very excited to be able to tell you that our NCI Hengistbury Head 2025 calendar is now available.
As in previous years, every penny of profit from sales is ploughed back into our Station – enabling us to continue, and improve, our vital service.
Once again a huge thanks go to our camera wielding Watchkeepers who have provided all the photos and to @cobwoodstudio for generously giving his time and expertise to put the calendar together.
Design: Cobwood Studio. www.cobwood.co.uk
See below for a list of our wonderful stockists
BH6 Books and Home, 69 Southbourne Grove, Southbourne, – T: 01202 418403 — Click for Facebook page.
Captain’s Club, Wick Ferry, Christchurch, – T: 01202 475111 — Click for website.
Hengistbury Head Post Office & News, 106 Broadway, Hengistbury Head – T: 01202 424889 — Click for Facebook page
Occasions Cards and Post Office, 348 Lymington Road, Highcliffe – T: 01425 277822 — Click for Facebook page.
Southbourne General Store, 47 Southbourne Grove, Southbourne, – T: 01202 420141 — Click for website.
The Noisy Lobster Shop, Avon Beach,Chistchurch – T: 01425 272162 — Click for website.
Westbourne Bookshop, 65 Poole Road, Westbourne – T: 01202 768626 — Click for website.
Please show your appreciation of our Station, which is run entirely by volunteers and funded entirely by the generosity of our supporters, and buy our calendar. Thank You.
NCI Hengistbury Head attended the Southampton Boat Show

Above you can see our merry band of NCI Hengistbury Head volunteers.
Once again, NCI Hengistbury Head attended the Southampton Boat Show. This was a splendid opportunity for us to engage with the public along with our SAR colleagues from HMCG, RNLI, Border Force as well as the Royal Navy.
On 1st August we supported Mudeford RNLI as they marked the 200th anniversary of the RNLI
Mudeford RNLI crew came together with friends and colleagues from the fundraising crew, Lifeguards, HM Coastguard, National Coastwatch Institution and other supporters, as well as family members, for a photo to mark the 200th anniversary of the RNLI.
250 people were brought together on the green, for an aerial shot taken at exactly 18:24 to mark the 200th anniversary. The photograph will be featured as part of a montage of images from all 238 RNLI lifeboat stations, all taken at the same moment, 1.8.24, at 18.24 to mark the year the RNLI was founded and will become an important part of the RNLI’s photographic archive.
Louise Adams, one of the organisers of the event, said, “Bringing 250 people together for a photo was not easy but the enthusiasm and positive spirit from everyone made it such a unique moment. We wanted a picture that reflects how much the Mudeford Lifeboat Station is an integral part of the community and how much the crew depend on the support and goodwill of so many people to continue their vital work, saving lives at sea.’




Photos: Mudeford RNLI One Moment-One Crew, 1.8.24, 18.24 Credit Will Evans at Snap Photography. Additional images: Ben Sawdon and Will Evans at Snap Photography – NCI photo Peter Ellis,
NCI 30th Anniversary Flag Handed on to NCI Calshot and Stone Point
On the 19th July it was our turn to pass on the flag. The weather was superb, the support was brilliant and finally our convoy of vehicles including a vintage Coastguard Landrover and numerous Sports Cars followed The Wessex Fire Heritage Fleet Engine to NCI Calshot and Stone Point. Here, HHNCI Station Manager Peter Holway can be seen handing over the Flag to The NCI Calshot and Stone Point Station Manager Brian Young. Thank you all for the fantastic support we received.




NCI 30th Anniversary Flag Arrives at NCI Hengistbury Head
On the 18th July it was our turn to receive the special 30th Anniversary commemorative flag, and what a scorcher of a day it turned out to be. The flag was delivered by NCI Swanage via an Austin 7. The flag was handed over and flown over our Lookout in front of a great crowd not only of HHNCI Watch keepers but the following local dignitaries: Christchurch Mayor, Cllr Paul Hilliard. BCP Vice-Chair Cllr Simon Bull. Martin Jones NCI Swanage Station Manager, Tim Hewett RNLI Mudeford. Andy HMCG CRT. Simon Nayyar and Jake Davis from Sirius in Sight, the flag sponsors and numerous members of the public. Tomorrow the flag leaves Waitrose car park in a Fire Engine from Wessex Fire Heritage fleet to be delivered to NCI Stone Point within Lepe Country Park. Our thanks to WK Terry Spooner for the photos and everyone involved today for your brilliant support.





NCI 30th Anniversary

In 1994 two Cornish fishermen lost their lives within sight of the recently closed Coastguard lookout at Bass Point. A group of concerned local people decided that keeping a visual watch along the coast would significantly contribute to marine safety. And so the National Coastwatch Institution began and 30 years later it is still growing.
To mark this anniversary, a flag relay has begun. It started at NCI Fleetwood and is making it’s way to all the stations. The flag is 5’x3’and bears all the NCI station names. NCI Filey will be the last station it visits, estimated to arrive Wednesday 28th August this will be coming from NCI Hornsea.
More details will be announced nearer the time.
Planning Fun on the beach or on the Water, keep safety in mind!
know the RNLI Beach Flags and warning signs / Read the safety flyer prepared by NCIHH Water Safety Team
now that the beaches are starting to get busier, know the RNLI Beach Flags and warning signs
For more information visit the RNLI Coastal Safety Page

ALL GAVE SOME, SOME GAVE ALL
Blue Light Day – Sunday 26th May
NCI HH is going to be on the Green at Mudeford Quay from 10 am as part of RNLI Blue Light Day
Lots of Blue Light organisation for you to meet, some from our search and rescue family including, RNLI (obviously), HM Coastguard, and Air Ambulance.
Please do come along and say hello!
SAVING LIVES AT SEA - A VERY SPECIAL EPISODE
FEATURING - NCI HENGISTBURY HEAD
8pm on BBC 2 – Tuesday 30th April 2024


Rt. Hon. Tobias Ellwood, MP for Bournemouth East - Visits our Station

On 9th April, the Rt. Hon. Tobias Ellwood, MP for Bournemouth East, visited the Lookout. He can be seen above with one of our watchkeepers Brian, along with the Station Manager Peter Holway, who briefed Mr Ellwood on our daily operations. Mr Ellwood was interested to learn that we are the second busiest station for recorded incidents in England and Wales, he thanked us for our service.
IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL MARINERS FROM CHRISTCHURCH HARBOUR ASSOCIATION - UPDATE
Nature has now established our channel out to sea and we are pleased to confirm all buoys are now in place. As previously stated, the channel lays further to the east than it has been for the last few years.
The Christchurch Harbour Association will keep a watching brief on the situation as it is possible the channel may break through slightly west of the current position.
The outer channel is not ideal, so as we have stated before take care as you enter or exit the harbour, always maintaining a watch on depth.
Christchurch Harbour Association
The Christchurch Harbour Association(CHA) Issue Important Notice to all Mariners
The Christchurch Harbour Association (CHA) will be laying out the harbour and channel markers shortly, so they are available before the Easter weekend.
However, due to the adverse weather we have been experiencing, the outer channel is not fully developed. The actual channel may move over the next few weeks, once it settles the CHA will move the required buoys. You should note that the channel is not a maintained channel, but nature dependant.
Therefore, in the meantime, please treat the markers as an indication of ‘best channel’ and take extra care as you enter or exit the harbour, maintaining a watch on depth at all times.
HHNCI Commences Summer Operating Hours - 0800 until 1900 Every Day

Meet your local Watchkeepers at WiseGuys – 30th March
1 Stanpit, Christchurch, BH23 3LR



HRH The Princess Royal, visits NCI Hengistbury Head
HRH The Princess Royal, made Wednesday 14th February 2024 an extra lovely day for Dorset volunteers when she visited NCI Hengistbury Head

HRH The Princess Royal Meets Station Manager Peter Holway and watchkeepers Victoria Jago and Vincent Tabor.
Although the weather at the Bournemouth clifftop location was inhospitable, there was a very warm welcome at the station from NCI Deputy Chair Dr Chris Aps, Station Manager Peter Holway and the watchkeepers on duty. They were introduced by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Dorset Mr Angus Campbell, CVO.
Her Royal Highness was briefed on the daily operation of the station. It is one of the busiest stations in our network of 60 coastal stations in terms of incident recording, with over 60 incidents a year logged in the last two years.
After visiting the station, The Princess Royal attended a reception at the nearby St Nicholas Church Hall.




The reception was attended by over 50 NCI watchkeepers and Station Managers from other NCI Stations in the region, as well as NCI Trustees Dr Chris Aps, Regional Trustee and Eric Taylor, Head of Operations. Guests from the local community included representatives from Southbourne Coastguard, RNLI Mudeford Lifeboat, Rt. Hon. Tobias Ellwood MP and BCP Council.
Stephen Hand, NCI Chair, formally welcomed Her Royal Highness to NCI Hengistbury Head and thanked her for her visit. He then invited her to present 5-year service awards to six watchkeepers and to unveil a commemorative plaque, which will be placed in the station. Mr Hand said: “Already this year, Her Royal Highness has visited our stations in Cromer, Norfolk and Worms Head in Wales and it’s a wonderful start to the year in which we will celebrate our 30th anniversary of helping to keep people safe on the coast and save lives at sea.”
Images credit: Caroline Walker
Radio items featuring NCI Hengistbury Head – 2021
Scala Radio Listeners Hear Brief History of NCI
On the 14th December Mark Forrest, during his Scala Radio programme, interviewed Sue, one of our watchkeepers. Mark was interested to learn about the NCI so Sue, in the time available, gave his listeners a concise history of the charity. She spoke of the tragedy in Cornwall which led to the creation of the NCI in 1994, our role today, and the fact that the 57 stations are manned entirely by our 2600 volunteers.
If you would like to hear the interview, you can listen by pressing play.

Copyright © Bauer Media Group
Our Station Manager Interviewed on Radio Solent
On the 07 December, as storm Barra was moving in, Steve Harris, during his Breakfast show on Radio Solent, interviewed our Station Manager Peter Holway. Peter was on duty in the Lookout and Steve asked how things were looking from the top of Hengistbury Head.
If you would like to hear the interview, you can listen by pressing play.


Copyright © 2021 BBC.
Television News items featuring NCI Hengistbury Head – 2019
This item by Meridian News was aired on 15th August 2019. This excerpt from the piece relates to HHNCI Lookout.
If you would like to watch the entire Meridian News item it can be viewed on our Facebook Page.
(c) ITV Meridian MMXIX
This report was Broadcast on BBC South Today, on 4th December 2019
A full version of the broadcast can be seen on our Facebook page.
(c) BBC MMXIX