Pains Wessex are giving the public a safe and convenient route to dispose of out-of-date flares, Pains Wessex’s amnesty days are open for all boaters to hand over their old pyrotechnics, regardless of the brand, age or condition. The sessions will be held at accessible locations along the South Coast, kicking off next month.

Each of the days will run from 10am to 3pm, and customers will be served on a first-come, first-served basis.

• 2^nd April – Sea Safety Day at Macsalvores, The Boathouse, Commercial Road, Penryn, TR10 8AE
• 23^rd April – Sea Safety Day at Universal Marina, Crableck Lane, Sarisbury Green, Southampton, SO31 7ZN
• 14^th May – Pains Wessex Flare Amnesty at Poole Yacht Club, The Yacht Haven, New Harbour Road West, Hamworthy, Poole, BH15 4AQ

Anyone using the service is invited to make a cash donation for the flare disposal, which will go towards a series of charities. For Penryn, the donations will go to the local RNLI station, Cornwall Air Ambulance and Southwest First Responders. For Poole and Southampton, the charities are the Jubilee Sailing Trust, the local RNLI stations, Wetwheels Foundation and Sail2Help.

This year’s flare amnesties return by popular demand, following three successful events last year. In 2021, Pains Wessex took back nearly 3,000 out of date flares, with the oldest expiring in 1964! Donations from the events raised over £1,800 for the chosen charities.

A variety of new pyrotechnics will be available to purchase at a discounted price for those using the service, alongside the opportunity to answer any questions and discuss any concerns with a brand representative.

For more information, visit www.painswessex.com.