Portpatrick RNLI celebrate a remarkable 69-Year legacy of service.
Volunteers from the Portpatrick RNLI Gift Shop came together to honour two of their longest-serving members, Dorothy Murray and Betty Stevenson, who have made the decision to retire after an impressive, combined total of 69 years of dedicated service.
During their tenure, Dorothy and Betty have witnessed significant milestones, including the arrival of four lifeboats at Portpatrick. The first, the RNLI Solent Class Lifeboat Douglas Currie, was introduced in 1986, followed by the Tyne Class Lifeboat Mary Irene Millar in 1989. Betty fondly recalls a special occasion during that time when Princess Alexander came to name the Lifeboat. ‘I was watching with my granddaughter Laura, her father, Quentin, was Coxswain on the boat. The Princess approached us and asked Laura if her daddy was part of the lifeboat crew. Shyly, Laura nodded and quickly turned her head away!’
Since then, Portpatrick has welcomed two additional lifeboats—the Tamar Class John Buchanan Barr and the current Shannon Class lifeboat, Stella and Humfrey Berkley.
While technology and lifeboats continue to advance, the RNLI’s commitment to saving lives at sea remains, along with its reliance on dedicated volunteers like Dorothy and Betty. Jane O Donnell, who leads the shop volunteers at Portpatrick, said, ‘Dorothy and Betty are familiar faces to everyone who has visited our RNLI gift shop, and they will be missed by both customers and fellow volunteers. They have been invaluable team members, and we are all sad to see them go.’
If you are able to give some time to help raise vital funds to save lives at sea, you can find out more information here RNLI Volunteer Portpatrick Shop Crew
To make a donation to the RNLI visit RNLI Donate
Notes to editors
· Portpatrick lifeboat station has been operating since 1877. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: Portpatrick Lifeboat Station
RNLI media contacts
Jeanette Hardy, Lifeboat Press Officer, 07387 272583, [email protected]
Natasha Rushby, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for Scotland, 07826 900639, [email protected]
Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Communications Lead 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.
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.