Workington RNLI host open day event in Whitehaven
A free event to help celebrate the RNLI's 200th anniversary will be held in Whitehaven this month.
Lifeboat displays and an exhibition charting the history of local lifeboat stations are among the highlights of the event, which runs from 1pm to 4.30pm.
There will also be entertainment from sea shanty group Nobody's Friends and tours will be available of Workington RNLI's all weather lifeboat Dorothy May White, which was bought with help from the community.
It is also an opportunity to meet the volunteer crew and find out more about what it takes to be a part of the charity.
Workington RNLI and St Bees RNLI will be showing off their skills in a display in the harbour.
Other organisations attending include HM Coastguard, Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team and Maryport Rescue.
There will also be an opportunity to find out how to stay safe around water this summer with Workington RNLI's water safety officer.
An exhibition of memorabilia from the area's RNLI history, curated by Bob McLaughlin, Chair of Workington RNLI, which will be held in the Beacon Portal.
Tim Chittenden, Workington RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, said:
'We wanted to take this opportunity to mark the 200th anniversary of the RNLI and celebrate our colleagues who are part of other volunteer emergency services.
'We are looking forward to welcoming as many people as possible to our event, and showing the capabilities of what our volunteers and boats can do.'
The county has been part of the RNLI from the very start. In 1866 the charity, known as the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) since 1854, took over the Whitehaven Lifeboat and started a continuous series of RNLI all-weather lifeboats on this coast, which has lasted to the present day.
The duty has passed between Whitehaven (total 59 years), Maryport (total 83 years), and Workington (total 95 years) and still counting.
In 2023, Workington’s volunteer crew responded to 21 callouts off the west coast.
Notes to Editors
TIMETABLE:
- 1pm - open
- 1pm - 4.30pm - Exhibition at Beacon Portal
- 1pm - 2pm - Nobody's Friends performance
- 2pm - 3pm - Lifeboat display
- 3pm - 4pm - Lifeboat open to visitors
- 4.30pm - Lifeboats leave.
For more information please contact Workington RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer, Nicole Regan on [email protected], or Claire Fitzpatrick-Smith, Regional Communications Manager on [email protected] or 07977 728 315.
Alternatively, you can contact the RNLI Press Office on [email protected] or 01202 336789.
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, X, TikTok 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.