St Ives RNLI celebrate dedication and long-term service of Peter Tanner

Volunteers are the heart of the RNLI and make up 95% of our people. They are ordinary people who do extraordinary things and without them and the support of their family, we couldn’t save lives at sea every day, 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.

St Ives RNLI is lucky to have a team of wonderful volunteers who always answer the call, but none more special than Peter Tanner. We are celebrating Peter and his wonderful voluntary service achievement of 30 years – 30 years of selfless voluntary commitment to answering that pager regardless of when it goes off, why it goes off and what the conditions are. Often missing family events, dinners, birthdays – whatever may be going on at the time, Peter always answered the call.

Peter joined St Ives crew in 1988 and was an active crew member on our all-weather and inshore lifeboats, he answered the call on many shouts, some of them extremely complex. During Peter’s time as lifeboat crew he attended an amazing 201 shouts, rescued 103 people and ultimately saved six lives. Peter also volunteered in many different roles as active boat crew, assistant lifeboat mechanic, and helm.

But his voluntary service did not end there. After his boating career ended, Peter decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and became a member of the shore crew as a tractor driver. The tractor ensures that our lifeboats can launch. Without that tractor taking the boat out, we cannot answer the call for help. Unbelievably since Peter became a tractor driver for St Ives Lifeboat in 2000, he has been involved with the launching of our lifeboats 332 times, he has been a critical part of the rescue of 280 people and saved a further 13 lives.

We asked Peter what motivated him to become a volunteer and why he continues to do so after 30 years, Peter explained:

‘Well its simple really, I was brought up with it with and followed in my fathers footsteps, even as a small child I had a lifeboat house, a lifeboat and tractor and I would launch the lifeboats in my bedroom, so I was always going to be a part of the RNLI. I can’t imagine not being a part of it. 25 years ago I was involved with pulling someone from the sea, that life was saved, that feeling never leaves you. One life saved makes everything worthwhile.’

It’s no surprise that on the anniversary of Peters 30 year’s service, he is honoured by the RNLI at an ‘Excellence in Volunteering’ dinner and awards ceremony and received a medal of long service. When you reflect on the impact that one person’s volunteered time can have, and looking over Peter’s full 30 year voluntary service in his different roles, he has been intrinsically involved in 533 shouts, rescued 373 people and saved 19 lives – you can see why volunteers are very much at the heart of the RNLI and are the lifeblood of the rescue service we provide.

We thank Peter and his family for supporting and enabling him to make this amazing contribution to the RNLI, the St Ives community, and all of the people and families that he has answered the call for help for.

Notes to editors

Photo 1 – Peter and wife Sally Tanner at ‘Excellence in Volunteering’ dinner – picture by RNLI

Photo 2 – Peter & Crew member (Peter first in image) in 1990 on all weather lifeboat – picture Sally Tanner

Photo 3 – Peter and his father John Tanner who was Head Launcher in 1978 – picture by Joan Tanner

Photo 4 – Peter as Tractor Driver in 2000 – Picture by Joan Tanner

Photo 5 – Picture of long service medal – picture by Sally Tanner

RNLI Media Contacts

For more information, please contact Niki Brooks, volunteer lifeboat press officer at St Ives RNLI, on 07384 756407

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.

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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.