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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 2026.
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.
Win an a £3000 Christmas Bonus
Be in the draw on Saturday 20th 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!
22nd December 2025 – 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 22nd 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, fourteen 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
Tuesday 9th December 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!
Member of Parliament Attends our AGM
On 19th November we once again held our AGM at St Nicholas Church Hengistbury Head. This year we were pleased to welcome Tom Hayes, MP for Bournemouth East. Mr Hayes stated that he, ‘Attended to thank the team and highlight just how vital the lookout is in keeping people safe.’. Thank you Mr Hayes, for attending and for your kind comments.
On 2nd October 2025 Our Fantastic New Buggy Arrived
NCI Hengistbury Heads’ Watch-Mobile’
Testing our new Buggy is completed, it’s a great piece of kit, this will allow many more of our Watch-keepers to start watches again.
Our Station Manager Peter can be seen looking very pleased with the new piece of equipment which should enhance the station’s capabilities. You may see it running up and down quite a lot as we train our Watch-keepers on the processes, driving’s the simple bit, but there’s other ‘stuff’ (Technical term!). Give us a wave as we pass you.
In September NCI Hengistbury Head attended the Southampton Boat Show
Above you can see our band of NCI Hengistbury Head volunteers.
Once again, NCI Hengistbury Head was happy to 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, as well as the Boarder Force.
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
Mudeford Blue Light Day - A Good time had by all!
Images by WK Terry S.
A good breeze was blowing which made putting up the gazebos up quite fun! Plenty of visitors came along to say hello, it was great to see you all and made the day for us, thank you!
Blue Light Day – Sunday 25th 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!
A very Happy Easter, to all our Friends and colleagues.
Win a Luxury City Break, or £1000.00 in Cash
Be in the draw on Saturday 26th April – Win a Luxurious City Break, Not a fan of travelling? Choose £1,000 cash, or plant 1,000 trees instead!
The BH Coastal Lottery Super Draw is BACK this Easter, and is spreading some seasonal cheer! If you already play and support Hengistbury Head National Coastwatch you’re already in with a chance to win a Luxurious City Break or £1000 cash, on Saturday 26th April – 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 Luxury City Break, or £1,000 cash!’ Get away from it all with a luxurious City Break, in our Easter Super Draw! A chance to win an escape worth £1,000 – or £1,000 cash alternative! Whether you want to hit the West End for a weekend, see the architecture and nightlife of Barcelona, sample the art and food of Florence, or soak up the culture in Paris, this prize is simply not to be missed! As always, you can opt for the £1,000 cash alternative, and spend it your way – or go green, and plant 1,000 trees!
Buy your tickets, for your chance to ‘Luxury City Break, or £1,000 cash!.
(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!
Visit to The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre at Fareham
A very informative visit was had by a group of our Watch-keepers to The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre at Fareham, on the 17th of April. The team enjoyed a presentation followed by a detailed tour of the operations room, they met Coastguard Operational staff and were given an explanation of the monitoring systems.
Volunteer Watchkeeper Maintenance Team achieve great results
The Lookout has had its Spring Clean and paint job.
Thanks to Watchkeeper Vince T and his team of Watchkeeper painters for the brilliant job they have done on The Lookout.
Our Painting crew were hard at it even in a chilly NE wind, thanks to Vince, David B, Bryan S, John G, Terry S.
Tom Hayes, MP Bournemouth East visits Station
On Saturday 1st February we hosted a visit from Tom Hayes, MP for Bournemouth East. Tom was delighted to visit the station and learn about the work we do, that so far this year we are the third busiest station in England and Wales and that we are open 364 days as year in daylight hours. He said he left feeling even more relieved that our area has fantastic volunteers. Tom also said he would tell his colleagues back in Westminster about us and our work.
A good PR session!
Radio items featuring NCI Hengistbury Head – 2021
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.
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
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.
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