Longhope RNLI Open Day raises over £1,200 for lifesaving service

The annual Open Day is an opportunity for the community to spend time at the lifeboat station, meet the volunteer crews who give up their time to save lives at sea and learn more about the work of the RNLI. It also plays an important role in raising funds, with the RNLI relying entirely on voluntary donations to operate its lifesaving service.

This year, Longhope RNLI was delighted to be joined by volunteer crews from Stromness and Wick. Together with Longhope's volunteer crew, they treated visitors to a display on the water, with the three lifeboats making several passes around Longhope Bay. The display gave spectators a chance to see the boats and crews in action while also highlighting the close working relationship between neighbouring RNLI stations, who regularly work together to keep people safe around Orkney and the north coast.

Back on shore, there was plenty to keep everyone entertained. Members of the Sailing Club were on hand, to give the children the opportunity to experience, while Longhope RNLI’s volunteer Water Safety Officer, Deanna Johnston, tested visitors' knowledge with an RNLI quiz. Barry Jones from Stromness won the adult quiz with an impressive 18 points and a bottle of gin, which will be making its way over to him soon. Even more impressive was the children's quiz, where every single child achieved full marks, a brilliant result and great to see so many young people remembering the RNLI's key water safety messages.

As every volunteer knows, when the pager sounds there is no time to waste. So, this year’s visitors were given the opportunity to see who could get into full operational kit the fastest, with Amy Tulloch taking the title in a time of just 1 minute and 1 second, earning herself a year's worth of bragging rights.

No Open Day would be complete without good food, and visitors enjoyed a barbecue alongside the Longhope Lifeboat Guild's famous selection of homemade baking, served with tea and coffee throughout the afternoon. Lifeboat Operations Manager Alan MacKinnon also drew the raffle, with a fantastic range of prizes generously donated by our supporters.

Reflecting on the day, Longhope Lifeboat Guild Chair Trish Avis said, ‘A massive thanks to everyone who baked, got stuff from the YM, helped, supplied raffle prizes etc. As always everyone pitched in; crew, Guild, land-based volunteers, to make for a very enjoyable day... and weren't we lucky with the weather!’

Behind every successful Open Day is a huge team of volunteers. From baking cakes and serving refreshments to running activities, cooking on the barbecue, selling raffle tickets and helping clear away at the end of the day, everyone played their part in making the event a success.

By the end of the afternoon, the Open Day had raised £1,149.36, rising to £1,261.36 when takings from the RNLI Shop were included. As the RNLI relies entirely on voluntary donations and fundraising, this is a fantastic amount to raise in just a few hours. Every pound will help support the charity's lifesaving work and ensure volunteer crews have the training, equipment and support they need when the pager sounds.

Longhope RNLI would like to thank everyone who came along to support the Open Day, the volunteer crews from Stromness and Wick RNLI for joining us, the Sailing Club, everyone who donated raffle prizes, and all those who volunteered their time to make the day such a success.

Notes to editors

· Longhope lifeboat station has been operating since 1874. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: Longhope Lifeboat Station (rnli.org)

RNLI Media Contacts

For further information, please contact:

Vicky Mackinnon, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for RNLI Scotland, [email protected]

Richard Smith, 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, [email protected]

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI is the charity that 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 146,700 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, 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.