Thomas Telford Corpach Marina is seeking funding to puchase and install durable outdoor life jacket lockers with capacity for up to 40 marina users. The lockers will be positioned on land so marina users can collect their life jackets before accessing the pontoons and store them securely when they return. 

Funding will support:

- Purchase of secure, easy to use, coin operated lockers for up to 40 users

- Marine suitable materials and fittings resistant to salt air, rain, wind and corrosion, offering a long service life

- Delivery, installation and secure fixing at an accessible landside location

- Clear signage explaining the facilities and our life jacket policy

The lockers will benefit long-term berth holders (many of whom live in our community), visiting boat crews, slipway users and other marina customers. They are intended for customers' own life jackets, not as a replacement for bringing or wearing appropriate safety equipment.

Why this matters

In 2026, there was a tragic drowning at the marina. We never want to experience another such loss. While no single measure can elimate the risks associated with water, we are determined to take practical steps that encourage safety on the pontoons. 

We now strongly recommend that everyone wears a life jacket after passing through the marina pontoon gate, and we intend to make this compulsory. We want putting on a life jacket to become as automatic as fastening a car seatbelt. For this change in mindset to succeed, we must make the safe choice easy and convenient. 

Landside storage means regular users need not transport their life jackets to and from home on every visit. It also provides a clear point at which users can prepare safely before entering the pontoons. Visitors and slipway users will benefit from straighforward facilities and visible safety messaging.

Community Benefit and Lochaber Area Place Plan

Corpach Marina is a community owned, not-for-profit facillity serving local residents, recreational boaters, visitors and marine businesses. This project supports the Lochaber Area place Plan's wider priorities around community well being, safe and inclusinve recreation, support for community facilities, access to outdoor activities and marine tourism. It strengthens an existing community asset and helps people enjoy Lochaber's waterfront with greater confidence.

The benefits extend beyond individual locker users. A visoble commitment to life jacket use can influence habits among families, clubs, young people and visiting boaters, encouraging safer behaviour  aroudn water and more widely.

Expected Outcomes