Five crew members from New Quay RNLI have left the Poole Support Centre in Dorset onboard their brand new £2.5M Shannon class lifeboat.

The crew's intense passage will see them call at Brixham, Newlyn, Dunmore East and Pwllheli before arriving in New Quay this Sunday, 25 June.

It is the realisation of a dream for the RNLI crew at New Quay and the local community who have been hard at work fundraising to raise more than £100,000 towards crew training and transportation costs for the lifeboat.

The state-of-the-art lifeboat, the Roy Barker V, will receive a welcome on her return home, with a party on the quayside and a flotilla of local boats. Aberystwyth and Cardigan RNLI lifeboats will launch to meet her in the bay.

New Quay’s RNLI Coxswain had the important role of bringing the Shannon home. Leaving Poole was a momentous occasion for Dan Potter, who has been an operational volunteer on three different classes of lifeboat – the Oakley class lifeboat – the Mersey and now the Shannon.

Dan said: “We are thoroughly looking forward to this passage and getting fully acquainted with this modern new lifeboat. It’s going to be a long few days, but something we are all thrilled to have been chosen to be part of.

“Bringing the lifeboat home to New Quay is a real honour and something we’re all looking forward to.”

A host of events are planned throughout the day on Sunday including:

· 12.30-1pm A flotilla of local boats including Aberystwyth RNLI and Cardigan RNLI lifeboats will take to the water to meet the new lifeboat

· 1.48pm The arrival of New Quay RNLI’s new Shannon class all-weather lifeboat, the Roy Barker V into New Quay harbour.