The service was held at St Peter’s Church and led by Reverend Andrew Watson. Several members of the congregation attended along with lifeboat crew volunteers, members of the guild and management team. Honorary Alderman Michael Arnott was in attendance representing the mayor’s office.
At the end of the service the congregation along with the RNLI volunteers were given the special honour of leaving the church through the historic West Tower. Standing with the RNLI standard final prayers were said facing towards the direction of the North Sea.
Lifeboat Operations Manager James Jamieson said after the service: ‘On behalf of Sunderland RNLI lifeboat station and its volunteers I would like to thank the congregation at St Peter’s and Reverend Andrew Watson for making us feel so welcome. Today we remember all those that have lost their lives to the sea and we are reminded of its dangers. We pray for the continued work of the RNLI and all its volunteers. It is an important part of our calendar and the turn out today I think shows how valued the work of the institution is.’
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
