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Charter Mayor of Scarborough to join RNLI's 200th celebrations

Lifeboats News Release

Scarborough RNLI is to hold a bicentennial celebration of the RNLI on Monday 4 March 2024 to mark 200 years of saving lives at sea – thanks to volunteers giving their time to save others, all funded by voluntary public donations.

Martin Fish

Shannon class lifeboat Frederick William Plaxton 13-15

The event has been organised by station volunteers and will include Scarborough RNLI crew being presented to the Charter Mayor of Scarborough, Cllr John Ritchie at 4pm. Both lifeboats will also be launched at approximately 5pm and recovered at 6pm. There will be a private celebration for the crew and station invitees from 7pm onwards.


Event organiser, Paul Huggins, Scarborough RNLI inshore lifeboat Helm said: 'The RNLI is a charity that has been saving lives at sea for 200 years. As we mark the 200th anniversary we want to commemorate the One Crew that has been saving lives at sea for two centuries.

'We will also celebrate being part of the world class lifesaving organisation we have become, whilst reflecting on Scarborough RNLI's contribution to the 146,000 lives saved by our charity. Hopefully, we inspire new volunteers, donors and supporters for the next 200 years too. As the Charter Mayor of Scarborough has previously been Scarborough RNLI crew, having him attend and the crew presented to him on this historic day makes the occasion even more special. He is part of our heritage and will always be part of our One Crew.'

Two centuries have seen vast developments in the lifeboats and kit used by the charity’s lifesavers – from the early oar-powered vessels to today’s technology-packed boats, which are now built in-house by the charity; and from the rudimentary cork lifejackets of the 1850s to the full protective kit each crew member is now issued with.


Roger Buxton, Scarborough RNLI's Lifeboat Operations Manager commented: ‘While much has changed in 200 years, two things have remained the same – the charity’s dependence on volunteers, who give their time and commitment to save others, and the voluntary contributions from the public which have funded the service for the past two centuries, it’s these selfless gestures that have enabled the RNLI to save lives at sea for 200 years.'


Scarborough RNLI will also have three crew members at the official service at Westminster Abbey on 4 March, commemorating how the RNLI has continued saving lives at sea throughout the tests of its history, including tragic disasters, funding challenges and two World Wars.


Notes to editors:

  • RNLI has been operating since 1801 and is one of the oldest stations in the United Kingdom still in operation. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/scarborough-lifeboat-station.

  • The RNLI was founded in a London tavern on 4 March 1824 following an appeal from Sir William Hillary, who lived on the Isle of Man and witnessed many shipwrecks.

  • The RNLI’s lifesaving reach and remit has also developed over the course of 200 years. Today, it operates 238 lifeboat stations, including four on the River Thames, and has seasonal lifeguards on over 240 lifeguarded beaches around the UK and Ireland. It designs and builds its own lifeboats and runs domestic and international water safety programmes.

  • If this has inspired others to fundraise for the RNLI, several event suggestions available at https://rnli.org/support-us/raise-money/fundraising-ideas. Alternatively, contact the station on 01723 360520 for information about joining Scarborough RNLI’s fundraising team.


RNLI media contacts

For more information please telephone Laura Lyth, RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 01723 360520 or [email protected] or Clare Hopps, RNLI Regional Media Manager, North East and East on 07824 518641 or [email protected] or contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.


Martin Fish

Scarborough D-class inshore lifeboat D-856 John Wesley Hillard IV

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.

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