
Raising funds for the RNLI comes in all shapes and sizes
RNLI Rye Harbour created a novel Christmas fundraising idea this December.
The local amateur dramatic group Rye Players always put on a travelling pantomime which plays to packed audiences in the local area. This year there was a nautical flavour to it and the funds raised were for the RNLI which is dear to their hearts. Captain Smollett was played by Stuart Clark, helm at the station and Martin Bruce, Chair and Press Officer led the shanties which were woven cleverly into the script with rewritten words about local hostelries and businesses. This caused much merriment.
Martin runs a local Shanty Group called Rye Harbour Herrings and they played a key role in Dame Mary Berry’s ‘Mary’s Christmas Makes’ on BBC 1 this week. Throughout 2024 the Herrings have been raising funds for the RNLI, too.
After four performances had been booked and sold out fast it was decided that doing a performance in the boathouse would be the topping on the Christmas cake.
On Friday December 20 the boathouse was prepared and as the audience arrived they were greeted with steaming cups of mulled wine. The boathouse was full, laughter flowed and the audience cajoled into participation, joining in as iguanas, palm trees and crocodiles. Stuart was very brave to act out his part in front of so many lifeboat volunteers on the crew but he was the ‘goody’ so he got lots of cheers. Oh yes, he did!
Captain Long John Saliva, the ‘baddy’, received very loud boos as he stepped on to the stage each time.
What an unusual and fun way of raising funds for the RNLI this Panto was and it enabled our station's volunteers to carry on Saving Lives at Sea
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.