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Coast To Cobbles relay arrives in Liverpool with special celebratory events

Lifeboats Media Invite

On Saturday 5 October, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s (RNLI) Coast To Cobbles time capsule will arrive in Liverpool for special celebrations as it continues its journey down the North West coast to its final destination at Salford Quays.

The relay sees a specially designed time capsule passed from lifeboat station to lifeboat station, with each crew given the opportunity to add something before it is sealed and put on display in Lytham St Annes Lifeboat Museum for 50 years.

Beginning its journey from Silloth Lifeboat Station last weekend (28 September), the time capsule has travelled down the Cumbria coast and into Lancashire. It will visit Lytham St Annes and then onto Liverpool on Saturday for two special RNLI 200 events.

On Saturday (5 October) from 10.30-12.30pm, there will be a Service of Thanksgiving at Our Lady and St Nicholas Church. From 12.30-4pm come together at Liverpool’s Albert Dock for ‘Rock Around the Dock’ – where you can see the spectacular sight of the Coast To Cobbles lifeboat first-hand.

Hannah Presgrave RNLI Community Manager and volunteer Crew Member says:

‘This weekend will be a fantastic event and we can’t wait to welcome Coast To Cobbles to Liverpool, as we celebrate RNLI lifesaving across North West England over the last 200 years and counting.

‘The day will be an exciting occasion filled with fun for all the family. There will live music to enjoy, tours to explore the lifeboats our volunteer crews rely on to save lives at sea, and you can proudly add your own RNLI memories to the Coast To Cobbles time capsule memory book.

‘Alongside volunteer crew, our Water Safety Team will be there sharing knowledge on how to keep yourself and your loved ones safe when in, on or around the water.

‘It will be a wonderful day to commemorate all the lifesavers who have come before us, to celebrate our amazing current volunteers and supporters, and to hopefully inspire the next generation of lifesavers – so we can continue saving lives at sea for the next 200 years. We hope to see you there!’

There is also a very exciting ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ prize draw for one lucky individual and their guest to be a part of Coast To Cobbles by join the volunteer crew aboard a Shannon-class lifeboat on the historic journey from Liverpool to Manchester (closes 11.30am on Friday 4 October 2024).

Coast To Cobbles is all about commemorating the iconic history of the RNLI in the North West of England. In 1886, 27 lifeboat men lost their lives in their mission to rescue crew from the stricken German barque Mexico off the coast of Southport. Out of adversity and hardship communities pulled together, and in 1891 they brought a lifeboat into the city of Manchester for the world’s first ever street collection – which paved the way for how charities fundraise today.

It’s about bringing communities together, transporting a time capsule and picking up stories to commemorate, celebrate and inspire the next generation of lifesavers in the RNLI’s 200th year of lifesaving.

The Coast to Cobbles event marks the RNLI’s 200th anniversary in the North West, commemorating the region’s contribution to the charity’s two centuries of saving lives at sea. The finale of the relay ‘Lifeboat on The Quay’ will be will be taking place at Salford Quays on Thursday 10 October.

Notes to editors

RNLI media contacts

For more information please contact Claire Fitzpatrick-Smith, Regional Communications Manager on [email protected] or 07977 728 315 / the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789 or [email protected].

RNLI/Iwan Ellis Roberts

Time capsule in front of RNLI wellies
Female crew member holding time capsule case

RNLI/Iwan Ellis Roberts

The time capsule is travelling down the coast of the north west

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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