HRH The Duke of Kent visits Dover Lifeboat Station to mark RNLI anniversary

Meeting operational crew as well Dover’s fundraising, shop, water safety and management group volunteers, The Duke was given a tour of the new station, crew facilities, shop, and exhibition centre, as well as going onboard their Severn class all-weather lifeboat City of London II, which The Duke named on 28 May 1998.

Accompanying HRH was Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Kent, Brigadier (Retd) Trevor Minter OBE as well as the newly appointed Chief Executive of the RNLI, Peter Sparkes.

Opened officially on 22 June this year with over 200 volunteers, crew and supporters in attendance, the building is cutting-edge with environmental sustainability at its heart. Leading the way in boathouse design, Dover is the newest RNLI lifeboat station to be built across the United Kingdom and Ireland and serves as a hub for Dover’s team who work together as one crew to save lives, deliver water safety messages and campaigns, and raise funds.

Peter Sparkes, Chief Executive of the RNLI, said:

‘It was an honour to host The Duke of Kent at Dover Lifeboat Station yesterday, especially with it being such a special year – 2024 not only marks the 200^th anniversary of the RNLI, but also the 55^th anniversary of The Duke being our President.

‘We are extremely grateful of The Duke’s unwavering support to our lifesaving work over the past 55 years and the team at Dover greatly enjoyed meeting His Royal Highness and sharing their experiences as part of the RNLI’s one crew.’

Those who met The Duke included Tony Hawkins MBE, Boathouse Manager, who first met His Royal Highness at the naming ceremony of City of London II in 1998 when he made The Duke an honorary member of the station’s ‘Winkle Club’ with the presentation of a winkle.

Tony joined Dover Lifeboat Station at the age of 16 and worked his way up through the ranks to become the coxswain, a position he held for 23 years. In 1975 Tony was awarded the RNLI’s Bronze Medal for Gallantry for his role in the rescue of the Cypriot coaster Primrose onboard the station’s lifeboat RNLB Faithful Forrester which had been named by the then Duchess of Kent, President of the RNLI, in 1967. Tony was made a Member of the British Empire for services to the RNLI in 1998 and earlier this year, he was appointed a Freeman of Dover.

The Duke also met Jon Meill, Launch Authority and former Coxswain. Jon was delighted to be able to thank The Duke personally for extending an invitation to The Royal Foundation’s Together at Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey last December with his mother-in-law Catherine.

Jon said, 'We were so honoured to be part of such a special occasion in recognition of Catherine’s efforts to comfort some of the children rescued by the Dover crew through knitting small dolls to be given to them.

‘It was very humbling to us both that the story of these dolls had reached The Duke and Catherine was nominated to attend for her selfless support to children and families.’

During the station tour, The Duke visited the RNLI shop where His Royal Highness met Lorna Hunt, Shop Manager, and nine of her team including one of the station’s longest-serving volunteers, Barbara Willey, who has volunteered for the RNLI for 29 years.

The visit concluded with The Duke presenting a special certificate to the station to commemorate the crew’s selfless commitment, courage, and dependability in saving lives at sea. Jon Miell presented His Royal Highness with one of the knitted dolls made by his mother-in-law Catherine.

Founded in 1837, Dover RNLI has been based at a number of locations in and around the port area for 169 years. Since 1855, Dover lifeboats have launched on service 2,694 times and saved 984 lives. Last year, they launched 100 times, aided 1,364 people and saved 5 lives. Today, the station operates a Severn class lifeboat – the largest in the RNLI’s fleet.

Dover RNLI Lifeboat Station is flanked by Walmer and Littlestone-on-Sea. Other RNLI lifeboat stations in Kent include: Gravesend, Sheerness, Whitstable, Margate and Ramsgate.

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 142,700 lives.

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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.