
Scroll relay celebrating 200 years of lifesaving to arrive at Barry Island RNLI
On Saturday, 21 September 2024, the Barry Island RNLI Visitor Centre will host a key event as part of the RNLI’s 200th-anniversary Scroll Relay, a nationwide celebration of the charity’s lifesaving mission.
As part of the RNLI’s 'Connecting our Communities' relay, the scroll will arrive at 12 noon, carrying the RNLI’s One Crew pledge – a renewed commitment to saving lives at sea.
This relay, which began on 4 March 2024 at a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey, sees the scroll passed through RNLI stations, lifeguard units, and fundraising branches across the UK and Ireland, concluding in Douglas, Isle of Man, in October 2024. The scroll will bear the signatures of around 700 RNLI representatives, symbolising the charity’s 200-year mission to save lives.
Andy Gavan, RNLI Coxswain for Barry Dock Lifeboat Station, said:
‘The Scroll Relay is a powerful symbol of how every RNLI station is interconnected, not just through our shared mission to save lives, but through the support we receive from the people around us in our communities. It’s a reminder that we’re all in this together—volunteers, supporters, and the wider community. This is what makes our work possible, and it’s what keeps us going.’
At the Barry Island Visitor Centre, the scroll will be signed by local lifesavers from Barry Dock RNLI Lifeboat Station, marking a significant milestone in the RNLI’s 200-year history. Visitors will have the chance to witness the scroll signing, meet volunteers, and learn about the charity’s lifesaving legacy.
The One Crew Pledge:
‘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 every one we can. It's what makes every one of us a lifesaver.’
The pledge is printed in seven languages: English, Irish Gaelic, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Ulster Scots, Manx, and Cornish. Beneath the pledge, it reads: ‘Signed in 2024 by representatives of the RNLI’s lifesaving communities, on behalf of all who strive to save every one.’
Over the course of seven months, the five-metre-long scroll will pass through 240 RNLI locations before completing its journey in Douglas on the Isle of Man, the home of the RNLI’s founder, Sir William Hillary. The scroll, crafted by RNLI craftspeople, carries a handle made from wood salvaged from the Ramsey Lifeboat Station on the Isle of Man and is protected in a fibreglass casing created by apprentices from the RNLI’s Inshore Lifeboat Centre.
Anjie Rook, RNLI Associate Director, who is overseeing the 200th-anniversary programmes, explains:
‘The Connecting our Communities relay is one of the most significant events of the RNLI’s 200th anniversary year as it’s all about our people. For 200 years, it is people who have made the RNLI what it is – from our brave lifesavers who risk their lives to save others, to the committed fundraisers and generous donors who fund our lifesaving work.’
The relay is supported by Ford, who are providing an All-Electric E-Transit van to transport the scroll on its journey. When the scroll’s journey ends, it will be displayed at RNLI College in Poole, where the charity’s lifeboat crews and lifeguards receive training.
Key Information About the Barry Dock Lifeboat Station:
- Operating since 1901, Barry Dock Lifeboat Station has a long and proud history of saving lives at sea.
- The Barry Island Visitor Centre, opened in 2017, was one of the UK’s first RNLI drowning prevention centres, focusing on beach safety education for families.
For more details on the RNLI's 200th anniversary, visit RNLI.org/200.
Media Contacts:
For more information, contact Lisa Newberry, RNLI Barry Dock Lifeboat Station Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer, on 07977 922889. Alternatively, you can contact Claire Fitzpatrick-Smith, Regional Communications Manager, on 07977 728315, or the RNLI Press Office on 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, 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.