Connecting Communities Scroll arrives in Longhope

On 04 March 2024, a Service of Thanksgiving held at Westminster marked the RNLI’s 200th anniversary and the start of the journey for the Connecting Communities Scroll. During its journey, the scroll will pass through every country in the United Kingdom, stopping at lifeboat stations along the way. Individuals will be invited to sign the RNLI pledge on behalf of their stations, in recognition of all the RNLI has achieved to date.

The scroll, which is printed on bamboo paper to ensure the enduring clarity of the signatures, is mounted in a bespoke case created by apprentices at the Inshore Lifeboat Centre on the Isle of Wight. It is made from the wheelhouse casing of a Shannon Class lifeboat and adorned with metal cleats for handles, continuing the nautical theme. The spindle attached to the scroll was created by Technician Boatbuilder David Martin of the All-weather Lifeboat Centre in Poole, who crafted the spindle ends using a 19th-century flagpole from Ramsey Lifeboat Station, Isle of Man. This flagpole dates back to the early 1890s when Ramsey's Norbury Boathouse was built. The scroll is being transported from one RNLI community to the next in a specially designed all-electric Ford E-Transit van.

The five-metre scroll is inscribed with the RNLI’s One Crew pledge, which outlines Sir William Hillary’s vision when he launched the charity in 1824. It reads, ‘Whoever we are, wherever we are from, we are one crew, ready to save lives. We’re powered by passion, talent and kindness, like generations of selfless lifesavers before us. This is our watch, we lead the way, valuing each other, trusting each other, depending on one another, volunteering to face the storm together. Knowing that, with courage, nothing is impossible. That is what has always driven us to save everyone we can. It's what makes every one of us a lifesaver.’

The four signatories were selected from across the RNLI community and included the youngest volunteer crew member, Euan Dougall (signatory no. 444), who joined the RNLI in April 2021, and Dr Iain Cromerty (signatory no.442), who joined as the Lifeboat Medical Advisor (LMA) in 2013. In 2017, Iain took on the role of Chair of the Management Group before subsequently volunteering as Deputy Launch Authority in 2020. Third to sign the scroll was Fay Clark (signatory no. 443), one of the longest-serving volunteers of the Longhope Lifeboat Guild. Fay joined the Guild in October 1996, taking on the role of President from 2001 to 2006, before stepping back to the position of Vice President in 2007, a position she continues to hold. The final signatory chosen was Scott Johnston (signatory no. 441), the current Coxswain since June 2022, who joined the crew at seventeen years old in 2009 and volunteered until he left the island in 2014.

Scott said, ‘I was extremely proud to be chosen to sign the scroll today. My family’s legacy with the RNLI stretches back to our first Coxswain, Benjamin Stout, my many times great-grandfather, through to my grandfather Jimmy, great-grandfather Robert and great uncle Robert, all of whom we tragically lost in the disaster of 1969. I am honoured to serve in the RNLI, and proud of the dedication and commitment of our volunteers and all that we achieve.’

Dr Iain said, ‘Sir William Hillary made the point, ‘we are one crew, ready to save lives’, and we wanted to capture this when we chose the signatories here in Longhope. Each one of our volunteers supports a crucial link in the chain whether a member of boat crew, shore crew or a fundraiser. Every role is important and the absence of just one of those links would mean we couldn’t continue to carry out our role of saving lives at sea. We are proud of our RNLI community here in Longhope and are very much ‘one crew’.’

The scroll has now left Longhope and to continue its journey. Next stop is Stromness before the scroll will continue travelling until October 2024, when it will end its journey in Douglas, Isle of Man, the former home of Sir William Hillary.

Notes to editors

· Longhope lifeboat station has been operating since 1874 and celebrates its 150^th anniversary in 2024. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: Longhope Lifeboat Station (rnli.org)

RNLI media contacts

Vicky Mackinnon, Lifeboat Press Officer, 07703 688066, [email protected]

Natasha Bennett, RNLI Regional Media Officer for Scotland, 07826 900639, [email protected]

Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Media Manager for Scotland, 07920 365929, [email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 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.

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