North Berwick RNLI thank local community after Open Day
The weather was largely kind to the volunteers of North Berwick RNLI and the public who turned out en masse to support the charity’s annual Lifeboat Open Day on Saturday (29 July).
Visitors were serenaded throughout the day by Alastair the Carousel Man’s Pipe Organ, Sea Shanties from the ‘Grumpy Old Grandads’, along with rousing reels from North Berwick Pipe Band and the Gullane Ceilidh Band.
Many visitors were able to clamber aboard our D Class Lifeboat, Evelyn M and dress up as a crew member, or even pose for wedding photos in full highland dress! Water safety and fundraising teams from the RNLI were also present alongside fundraising stalls and a raffle of fantastic prizes and experiences donated by ever generous local business owners of North Berwick and further afield.
Ricky Martin, Lifeboat Operations Manager at North Berwick, said: 'We've been overwhelmed by the support of local businesses who despite the harder times we've all faced over recent years have thrown their support behind us and donated some extraordinary raffle prizes. We know we can always count on the local community but again they turned out en masse and joined in the fun.
‘Support from local businesses and the wider community is vital to maintaining the voluntary lifesaving service provided by the RNLI here in North Berwick. The Open Day this year raised over £2500 which will go towards training our voluntary crew, ready for the next call out.'
The RNLI is a charity which relies on voluntary contributions, receiving no government funding to cover running cots. IN 2022 it cost the RNLI £188M to run its lifesaving service across the UK and RoI, with volunteer lifeboat crew and lifeguards saving 506 lives in 2023. Here in North Berwick, since a D Class inshore lifeboat was placed on station in 1967, 1 in 5 launches has resulted in a life being saved. (607 launches, 124 lives saved 427 people aided).
Notes to editors
- In 2022 RNLI lifeboats from 238 stations across the UK and RoI launched 9,312 times saving 389 lives, RNLI Lifeguards saved a further 117 lives.
- It cost £1,400 a year to train each crew member in the lifesaving skills they need to answer the call for help
- 97% of the RNLI’s frontline lifesavers are volunteers including over 5,700 lifeboat crew members.
- In 2022 it cost the RNLI £188M to run it’s charitable lifesaving service, 6 in 10 of the lifeboat launches were funded be generous supporters leaving the RNLI a gift in their will.
- Library footage and images of North Berwick RNLI are available on request, please use the contacts below.
RNLI media contacts
Matthew Gibbons, Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer, North Berwick, [email protected]
Natasha Bennett, RNLI Regional Media Officer for Scotland, 07826 900639, [email protected]
Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Media Manager for Scotland, 07920 365929, [email protected]
24 hour RNLI Central Press Office, 01202 336789 or email [email protected]
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, Twitter 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.