Following Her Excellency's time at the Cholmondeley Children's Centre, Dame Cindy attended another significant community event – the opening of the new Canterbury Coastguard building in Lyttelton. This state-of-the-art facility replaces the Coastguard’s previous headquarters, which were badly damaged in the Canterbury earthquakes and demolished in 2020.
For nearly 50 years, the Canterbury Coastguard has been providing support to fellow boaties and other recreational users of the Lyttelton Harbour and Canterbury coast. In Lyttelton, the Coastguard is supported by 24 volunteer crew members, who are out on the water most weekends and public holidays, and on call 24/7.
You can find more images from the event in the image gallery for the opening of the new Canterbury Coastguard building, and read Dame Cindy's speech via Her Excellency's speech for the opening of the new Canterbury Coastguard building.