Teddington RNLI’s new D-Class lifeboat officially named Peter Saw
In sunny South West London volunteers of Teddington lifeboat station hosted the naming ceremony and dedication service for their new D-Class lifeboat Peter Saw.
At 11am on Saturday 7 May, the volunteer crew of Teddington lifeboat station hosted their families, friends and local supporters to formally name their new D-Class Lifeboat Peter Saw.
Close to one hundred people gathered in the blistering sunshine on Teddington’s slipway to attend the formal naming ceremony and dedication service for the new inshore lifeboat, funded by Hilary Saw.
Hilary generously donated the lifeboat in memory of her late husband Peter Saw who himself was one of life’s most enthusiastic, loyal and hard-working volunteers in the community. Peter was a great admirer of the work done by the RNLI and he and Hilary had previously donated the D-Class lifeboat D-743 to Teddington, named Olwen and Tom after Hilary’s parents.
Teddington’s Lifeboat Operations Manager, Tim Ody, welcomed all present and began the ceremony with a resume of the work of the London lifeboat station. Tim said: ’It has been five years since Hilary and Peter donated the Olwen and Tom and in the period we have launched on 302 occasions, rescuing 52 people.’
The donor, Hilary Saw, then spoke of how proud she was of the work of the RNLI’s operational team, the loyalty and energy of its fundraising team and the phenomenal generosity shown by the families of all involved with the RNLI.
Speaking with great pride of her late husband, Hilary then concluded by passing the new lifeboat formally into the care of the RNLI.
Volunteer crew member, Kay Whittaker, said: ‘I was so moved by Hilary’s speech and it was lovely to hear more about the man behind the boat that bears his name.’
Teddington lifeboat station was truly honoured that Charles Hunter-Pease, Chairman of the RNLI, was present to accept the lifeboat on behalf of the charity, who then officially handed her into the care of Teddington RNLI.
A simple yet moving service of dedication was conducted by Reverend Joe Moffat, Chaplain to the station and Vicar of St Mary’s with Albans, Teddington, before the lifeboat D-785 was officially named Peter Saw.
All those present joined in together to shout out the words by which the boat was named, symbolising the fact that all had contributing to the work of the RNLI, whether as a volunteer, a donor or a supporter. Out of respect for Peter Saw’s lifelong teetotalism, sparkling water, rather than champagne, was used to christen the new rescue vessel.
Following the ceremony, guests were given a short demonstration of Peter Saw’s capabilities. The lifeboat is highly manoeuvrable and specifically suited to shallow water and confined spaces. It carries up to three crew members and five casualties, and is powered by a 50hp outboard engine.
On reflection, Hilary said: ‘What a fantastic day. The huge amount of work done before and on the day by the RNLI’s events team, the volunteer crew of Teddington lifeboat station and other RNLI staff, ensured a smooth, very enjoyable and very well attended naming ceremony for the new Teddington D-Class, Peter Saw’.
Commenting on the fantastic cake that former crew member, Claire Symons, had made, Hilary added ‘It was such a shame to eat it. Nevertheless, every morsel was devoured, leaving behind it, as did the ceremony, very happy memories.’
The volunteers of Teddington lifeboat station would like to thank Hilary for her hard work. Hilary is now an integral member of Teddington lifeboat station and, continuing her generous contributions to the RNLI, has recently become the Chairman of the Teddington Lifeboat Management Group.
Volunteer helmsman Matt Allchurch added: ‘The organisation and support prior and during the event was fantastic and it was great to be able to welcome so many friends and supporters of the RNLI, as well as representatives from our flank stations Chiswick, Tower and Gravesend.’
The RNLI is a charity that relies on voluntary contributions to enable its volunteer crews to go to sea to save lives. Teddington is one of three London lifeboat stations along with Tower and Chiswick, with a fourth located further west along the river at Gravesend in Kent.
Ends
RNLI Media Contacts
- Manon Jones, Teddington Press Officer, 07715 271667 / [email protected]
- Tim Ash, RNLI Public Relations Manager (London/East/South East)
0207 6207426 / 07785 296252 / [email protected] - James Oxley, RNLI Press Officer (London/East/South East)
0207 6207425 / 07786 668825 / [email protected] - For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789
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.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.