RNLI Skegness launches campaign to celebrate bicentennial anniversary
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Skegness is set to commemorate its 200th anniversary with the launch of a unique campaign, 'RNLI Skegness 200 Life Stories', unveiling two centuries of heroism, community spirit, and maritime history.
The campaign will take supporters on a journey through time, highlighting stories from the station's inception in 1825 to the present day.
The campaign will feature personal accounts from past and present crew members, supporters, and the wider Skegness community who have been involved with or impacted by the Skegness RNLI Lifeboat Station. These stories, some of which have never been shared outside the lifeboat station, will be brought to life through digitised archives, including launch records, photos, slides, and personal anecdotes.
Brad Johnson, volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for Skegness, who is leading the project alongside RNLI Lifeboat Helm and Navigator, Lewis Knight, said: 'We are thrilled to embark on this journey of discovery and share these incredible stories from our station's history with the public. Over the next two years, we look forward to unearthing and sharing the tales of bravery, resilience, and community spirit that define RNLI Skegness. We can't wait to see what we find and share the stories that make us who we are.'
The campaign will not only commemorate the 200th anniversary of RNLI Skegness in 2025, but also the RNLI's 200th Anniversary in 2024, marking a double celebration of commitment to saving lives at sea.
Stories will be shared via the RNLI website's News Section, local media, as well as shorter updates every Monday and Thursday on the RNLI Skegness Facebook page. RNLI Skegness will also be looking at how it can share stories with the public over the life of the campaign to create an archive that the community can explore for years to come.
The station has also launched a new Facebook group called 'History of Skegness RNLI Lifeboat Station' which will be a focal point of the campaign allowing the station and the public to share their memories in a community environment.
Community engagement is encouraged, with submissions for stories and memories welcomed by emailing Project Lead, Brad Johnson, at
[email protected].
Notes to editors
- The RNLI is the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
- Skegness RNLI is based on Tower Esplanade, Skegness. The lifeboat station was founded in 1825 and the volunteer crew use an inshore D class lifeboat The Holland Family and as well as an all-weather Shannon class lifeboat the Joel and April Grunnill.
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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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