International footballer Ian Walsh and international Welsh rugby player Gerald Davies will be in St Davids today to launch a £150,000 appeal for the city’s new lifeboat station.

Work has already got underway on the 20 month project to construct a new lifeboat station and slipway at St Justinians.

The boathouse will be home to the Tamar class lifeboat and the smaller D-class inshore lifeboat.

It will include modern facilities including a drying room for kit and better provision for crew training and equipment maintenance.

There will also be better access to the new station which is important for the delivery of equipment and, more importantly, for the evacuation of any casualties brought in by the lifeboat.

The boathouse construction will be the final piece of a £43 million jigsaw to provide homes for four new Tamar class lifeboats at four locations across the Welsh coast.

The RNLI’s £150,000 appeal has already got off to a flying start thanks to a generous £13,100 donation from Asda in Pembroke Dock.

“This is a very important appeal because as beautiful as the Pembrokeshire coastline is, it can be very dangerous not only for the public but also for the brave volunteer crew that sometimes have to put their lives at risk when they are called on,” said Ian.

"The most important aspect for me is the safety of the crew. They volunteer their time to the RNLI charity so deserve the very best equipment to enable them to do their job in the safest possible way.’ Dai John, RNLI coxswain at St Davids, added: “Getting to grips with the new Tamar class lifeboat has been a challenging but exciting period for the volunteer crew at St Davids. She is a fantastic modern lifeboat which is more comfortable for the crew and enables us to reach casualties quicker.

“She has been operating from a mooring as the RNLI pressed ahead with the planning procedure but we are delighted her new home is now under construction. Bringing the lifeboat into her new home really will be the icing on the cake.