
Our history
On 28 February 1823, Sir William Hillary made an impassioned appeal to the nation, calling for a service dedicated to saving lives at sea.
That service was to become the RNLI. And since our foundation in 1824, our brave lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 140,000 lives.
Today we celebrate our long and proud lifesaving history through our archive and library, collections, exhibitions and museums, all of which keep our inspiring stories of courage alive.
With courage, nothing is impossibleSir William HillaryRNLI founder

Being a heritage volunteer
Our heritage volunteers play a vital part in telling our story and keeping our history alive.

Contact us
Use our online enquiry form to ask a question, arrange visits, donate items and more.






Calm Before the Storm: The Art of Photographing Lifeboats marks the digitisation of 850 glass plate negatives of lifeboats. It celebrates significant moments in the life of individual lifeboats and their volunteer crews, from starting service to saving lives at sea.




