£1m legacy for lifeboat

15 June 2007

A KESSINGLAND woman has left £1 million to the Lowestoft lifeboat.

Now a new vessel - named the Patsy Knight - looks set to be built within the next few years to serve the town thanks to the bequest.

And Lowestoft RNLI lifeboat station will have a new boat within the next five years.

Mrs Knight, who used to live in the Midlands, had a holiday home at Pakefield where she would often spend weekends.

Her father, who made all his money after the war through the building trade, built a further two holiday homes at Kessingland, and in the mid 1980s Mrs Knight moved to here for good.

According to her close friend, Hilary Watts, she used to spend her spare time watching the lifeboat crew practising their manoeuvres.

“She had great admiration for the crew and the time they devoted to volunteering,” Mrs Watts said.

“She loved the coastline and beaches, and she would watch the lifeboat manoeuvres from her homes, so she felt it was a worthy cause.

“It's just an absolutely marvellous thing to do. Patsy cared for people in her lifetime and was a very good companion, but in her death her generosity will be helping others.”

Mrs Knight also left more than £1m to Cancer Research UK.

Earlier this year, with that donation, a cancer unit entitled the Patsy Knight Research Unit opened its doors in London.

Mrs Knight, who died in May 2005, aged 63, was said to have been a great person and businesswoman by her devoted friend.

She was in the background in helping Mrs Watts to establish Aquila Computer Services 10 years ago.

Mrs Watts, the managing director of the company - who has lived all her life in Lowestoft - fondly recalled: “When she got here in 1987, we became very good friends.

“The generosity of who she was meant that she wanted to do something wonderful for others, not just for her family and

friends.

“It will help lots and lots of people in different ways, and it's got to be recognised.”

Lowestoft lifeboat operations manager Mike Chapman said: “I'm absolutely delighted and very grateful to the late Mrs Patsy Knight.

“It secures the future of Lowestoft lifeboat station and ensures that we have an up-to-date boat.”

The new lifeboat will be named after Mrs Knight, but it is not due on station until after the 2011 coast review has taken place.

The news comes at a fitting time for the lifeboat.

It will be 20 years soon since the Spirit of Lowestoft lifeboat was first launched following an amazing fundraising effort conducted through The Journal and local community.