AN artist from Penarth has created a painting to help raise money for the Penarth RNLI.

Diana Mead created a water colour commemorating the arrival and naming of the new D class lifeboat “Spirit of Penarth II”. The original picture will be auctioned at a fundraising event this year, and there will be limited edition prints for purchase, with profits going towards Penarth RNLI funds. The painting features Penarth schoolchildren, who accepted the lifeboat from the RNLI and presented it to the lifeboat station, along with the lifeboat station, members of the crew, lifeboat chaplain and of course the D class lifeboat.

Ms Mead said completing the painting was an enormous but enjoyable challenge: “The Lifeboat Station is literally built into the cliff-side and I wanted to demonstrate how that physical link is reflected in the strong emotional bond between the RNLI and everyone in Penarth. I feel very honoured to be entrusted with this commission”.

Jason Dunlop, lifeboat operations manager for Penarth Lifeboat Station, said: “We are most grateful to Diana for this work. She captured the station, lifeboat and crew in amazing detail, and we are delighted.

“As a charity we do rely on fundraising to enable us to save lives at sea, and we are sure this painting will raise significant funds for the station.”