Volunteers committed to the conservation of the South Downs achieved almost 6,000 days of effort in the twelve months to April 2008, according to the Annual Review just published by the South Downs Joint Committee.

Tasks varied from replacing fencing and stiles, such as that on the Downs at South Stoke near Arundel, (above) to carrying out wildlife surveys and practical work to conserve threatened chalk downland habitat. Keen local walkers spent 253 days ensuring that public footpaths and other rights of way were clear, whilst other volunteers checked the condition of more than 50 Scheduled Ancient Monuments. In all, 724 practical tasks were tackled as a result of local people generously giving their time and skills.

The Volunteer Ranger Service makes an important contribution to the delivery of the work of the South Downs Joint Committee and its partners including Natural England, The National Trust, The Forestry Commission, local councils and a range of smaller local groups.

Ian Hartle, Volunteer Co-ordinator for the South Downs Joint Committee, expressed his gratitude to the Volunteer Ranger Service, saying:

‘It really is an honour to be associated with a group of individuals who do so much to ensure the future of the landscape and wildlife of the South Downs. The volunteers’ work makes the Downs a better place for people and wildlife.’

A local kite surfer is lucky to be alive, thanks to the skills of the volunteer lifeboat crew at Hayling Island RNLI, who were searching for him in near gale conditions and fading light.

Both Hayling Island lifeboats, the Atlantic 75 B Class lifeboat and the smaller D Class lifeboat, were launched on Wednesday 1st October at 19.15 to search for the kite surfer who was reported missing to Solent Coastguard after his clothes were found on the beach.

Solent Coastguard coordinated the search in Hayling Bay, which also involved an RNLI lifeboat from Portsmouth. The Hayling Island lifeboats started their search in 2.5 metre waves westwards from the entrance to Chichester Harbour.

Within 15 minutes of the Atlantic 75 lifeboat crew launching to sea, Senior Helm Ian Fiddaman and crew members Andy Ferguson, a senior helm acting as crew, and Jasper Graham-Jones, found the kite surfer approximately one mile from the beach. The 48-year-old man had been clinging to his kite and small board for more than two hours. He was exhausted and suffering from severe hypothermia. He had gone out kite surfing from Hayling Beach at 4.30pm and at 5pm his gear had broken and he was unable to get back to the shore.

The casualty, who lives on Hayling, was taken on board the lifeboat and after a trip back through rough seas in the entrance to Chichester Harbour, was landed at the lifeboat station within 10 minutes, where he received further medical attention before an ambulance arrived to take him to hospital.

Ian Fiddaman, Senior Helm, says, ‘He was very lucky to be found so quickly as he was wearing a dark wetsuit and the black and white kite he was clinging to in the water were not easy to see in the poor light and rough sea.’

Fellow crew member, Andy Ferguson said that the kite surfer owes his life to Ian’s professional boat handling skills in very difficult conditions and his great local knowledge of the tides and currents. He was also very lucky that the lifeboats were launched so quickly once the alert had been raised as the crew were already in the boathouse for a training evening.