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Alex the Marathon Walker visits Whitstable Lifeboat

Lifeboats News Release

The long walk of of Alex Ellis-Roswell, the 24-year old from Canterbury who embarked on a marathon walk around every lifeboat station in Great Britain and Ireland drew near to it's end on Wednesday evening when he arrived in Whitstable a few hours earlier than expected, ready to call in on the town

Alex Ellis-Roswell chats with Whitstable lifeboat's Oz Warren and Rob Judge on Thursday evening following the completion of the penultimate leg of his marathon 3-year walk around the lifeboat stations of Great Britain and Ireland. Picture: RNLI Whitstable

RNLI/Chris Davey

Alex Ellis-Roswell chats with Whitstable lifeboat's Oz Warren and Rob Judge on Thursday evening following the completion of the penultimate leg of his marathon 3-year walk around the lifeboat stations of Great Britain and Ireland. Picture: RNLI Whitstable

Alex, inspired by the charity work of his late father Sir Raymond Ellis has covered around 9500 miles on his walk, travelling clockwise around the coast starting with Margate Lifeboat, his walk included visits to every mainland lifeboat station in Great Britain and Ireland.

So far he has raised around £70000 and is hoping that he might eventually raise £95000, £10,00 for every mile covered.


“I have had an amazing response to my walk especially from some of the communities in Scotland” he said and on his facebook page he wrote I'm full of emotions. It's been a very long 3 year journey by foot and ferry around Britain and Ireland. I couldn't have made it this far without your support”.


On Thursday evening Alex was met members of the Whitstable lifeboat crew and fundraising branch and was interviewed live on the BBC's South East Today news programme.


Whitstable lifeboat operations manager Mike Judge said “It has been a fantastic effort by Alex, of the kind on which the RNLI depend on to fund it's lifesaving service”.


“We where delighted to be able to provide the last bit of support for his marathon effort by being the final lifeboat station he visited and we are full of admiration for his efforts”.


Alex was due to embark on the final short leg of his walk on Saturday afternoon from Reculver to Minnis Bay.


Notes to editors


Whitstable RNLI Lifeboat Station was established in 1963 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and is one of 237 lifeboat stations around the shores of the UK and Ireland. The volunteer crews provide a maritime search and rescue service for the Kent coast. They cover the area between the Kingsferry Bridge on the Swale, in the west, around the south-eastern side of Sheppey and along the coast through Whitstable and Herne Bay to Reculver in the east and outwards into the Thames Estuary.


The station is equipped with an Atlantic 85 lifeboat named Lewisco, purchased through a bequest of a Mrs Lewis of London who passed away in 2006.


She is what is known as a rigid inflatable inshore lifeboat, the boat’s rigid hull being topped by an inflatable sponson. She carries a crew of four people.

RNLI media contacts

  • Chris Davey, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer, Whitstable Lifeboat Station.
    07741 012004/ [email protected]


  • Paul Dunt RNLI Press Officer London/southeast/east Tel: 0207 6207416 Mob: (07786) [email protected]



For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789



Alex Ellis-Roswell with members of the Whitstable Lifeboat Station on Thursday evening following the completion of the penultimate leg of his marathon 3-year walk around the lifeboat stations of Great Britain and Ireland. Picture: RNLI Whitstable

RNLI/Chris Davey

Alex Ellis-Roswell with members of the Whitstable Lifeboat Station on Thursday evening following the completion of the penultimate leg of his marathon 3-year walk around the lifeboat stations of Great Britain and Ireland. Picture: RNLI Whitstable
Alex Ellis-Roswell is interviewed by the BBC on Thursday evening following the completion of the penultimate leg of his marathon 3-year walk around the lifeboat stations of Great Britain and Ireland. Picture: RNLI Whitstable

RNLI/Chris Davey

Alex Ellis-Roswell is interviewed by the BBC on Thursday evening following the completion of the penultimate leg of his marathon 3-year walk around the lifeboat stations of Great Britain and Ireland. Picture: RNLI Whitstable
Alex Ellis-Roswell with members of the Whitstable Lifeboat Station on Thursday evening following the completion of the penultimate leg of his marathon 3-year walk around the lifeboat stations of Great Britain and Ireland. Picture: RNLI Whitstable

RNLI/Chris Davey

Alex Ellis-Roswell with members of the Whitstable Lifeboat Station on Thursday evening following the completion of the penultimate leg of his marathon 3-year walk around the lifeboat stations of Great Britain and Ireland. Picture: RNLI Whitstable

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.

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