The National Coastwatch Institution is a voluntary organisation

Voluntary sector

The voluntary sector or community sector is the sphere of social activity undertaken by organizations that are for non-profit and non-governmental. This sector is also called the third sector, in reference to the public sector and the private sector...

 and registered charity providing a visual watch along the UK

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

's coast

Coast

A coastline or seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...

s, and is not to be confused with HM Coastguard

Her Majesty's Coastguard

Her Majesty's Coastguard is the service of the government of the United Kingdom concerned with co-ordinating air-sea rescue.HM Coastguard is a section of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency responsible for the initiation and co-ordination of all civilian maritime Search and Rescue within the UK...

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The National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) was founded in Cornwall

Cornwall

Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...

 in 1994 following the deaths of two local fishermen who drowned right below a recently closed Coastguard Station at Bass Point

Bass Point (England)

Bass Point is a headland on the coast of Cornwall, England. It is at the southern tip of the east side of the Lizard peninsula. The former HM Coastguard station at Bass Point was the first location refurbished by the voluntary National Coastwatch Institution, in 1994, following the deaths of two...

. Most of HM Coastguard's visual watch stations were closed following a period of rationalization and modernization.