North Berwick RNLI thank community for supporting Open Day

Despite the dreich weather there was good support for the event by locals and day trippers who showed their support for the charitable work of the RNLI in North Berwick.

Ricky Martin, the voluntary Lifeboat Operations Manager in North Berwick said ‘It’s always a humbling event for our volunteers in many ways as the RNLI wouldn’t be able to save lives at sea without the generous support of the public.’

‘Our raffle is a big fundraiser and local businesses are always happy to support with some fantastic prizes that help us raise life saving funds. A big thank you is owed to them for their support’

‘We also extend our thanks to the Scottish Seabird Centre, East Lothian Yacht Club and Alastair the Carousel Man for letting us use Anchor Green and the Marquee for the event.

‘The Open Day isn’t just about fundraising, we had some really strong engagement with our water safety and the RNLI Lifeguards Scotland Team. Members of North Berwick Coastguard Rescue Team and North Berwick First Responders also attended to meet the public.’

‘Our Lifejacket clinic reported that 55% of the Lifejackets checked may have failed to operated as the wearer expected. Indeed some would not have inflated at all. It’s so important that water users take their lifejacket for an annual service, it could save your life.’

Notes to editors

• It cost £1,360 a year to train each crew member in the lifesaving skills they need to answer the call for help
• In 2025 the RNLI spent £196.9M delivering its lifesaving service.
• Across the UK, Ireland and the Channel Islands, RNLI lifeboat crews based out of 238 lifeboat stations helped 8,290 people and saved 272 lives as the charity’s lifeboats launched more than 9,000 times in 2025, making it the sixth-busiest year in the charity’s history. More here

RNLI Media Contacts

For further information, please contact:

Matthew Gibbons, 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.