Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside visits Hoylake and West Kirby RNLI lifesavers
Volunteer lifesavers from Hoylake and West Kirby RNLI were honoured to host the Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside, Mr. Peter Oliver OBE, on a special visit to Hoylake Lifeboat Station on Friday 12 June.
The Lord-Lieutenant is His Majesty The King’s personal representative in the county, and the occasion was Mr. Oliver’s first visit to a local RNLI lifeboat station since being appointed to the role in December 2025.
The King became Patron of the RNLI in 2024, continuing the tradition of patronage by the reigning monarch which began when the RNLI was founded over 200 years ago in 1824.
Mr. Oliver was joined on the visit by Helen Tanzey, Clerk of the Merseyside Lieutenancy, and they were greeted at the lifeboat station by John Curry, Chairman of the Hoylake and West Kirby RNLI Management Group.
John introduced Mr. Oliver to Hoylake RNLI Coxswain Howie Owen, who then presented RNLI volunteers from the station’s lifeboat and shore crews and members of the fundraising, souvenirs and visits teams. The volunteers had an introductory chat with Mr. Oliver about the lifesaving work of the RNLI, and were soon joined by volunteers from the West Kirby RNLI lifeboat crew, who arrived with their Hagglund BV206 launch vehicle and D class inshore lifeboat.
The West Kirby RNLI crew were in their seagoing kit and were ready to launch in the event of a tasking. Led by volunteer helm Chris Gatenby, the West Kirby RNLI crew showed the Lord-Lieutenant around their lifeboat and equipment.
Mr. Oliver was then given a guided tour around Hoylake Lifeboat Station and learned about its lifesaving history spanning almost 225 years. He was shown around Hoylake RNLI’s Shannon class all-weather lifeboat and Inshore Rescue Hovercraft.
The Lord-Lieutenant then joined RNLI volunteers in the crew room for coffee and homemade orange drizzle cake baked by shop volunteer Jan Ambery.
Following the visit, Mr. Oliver said:
‘The impact of the RNLI is quite literally life-changing, and with such an incredible heritage. Every day, teams are working around the clock to maintain, deliver, and develop their services and undertake emergency responses to those at a critical time of need. Volunteers have long been a quiet force for good across Merseyside and the RNLI would not be viable without their hard work and commitment. On behalf of us all, I thank the teams at Hoylake and West Kirby, and all similar teams, for caring and for looking after us in the way you do.’
John Curry said:
‘We were immensely proud to host Mr. Oliver and Ms Tanzey on this special visit to Hoylake Lifeboat Station. It was an invaluable opportunity to showcase the dedication and professionalism of our volunteers at both Hoylake and West Kirby RNLI and to share some insights into their lifesaving work around our region’s coast.’
‘We are very grateful to the Lord-Lieutenant and the Lieutenancy team for their time and interest in meeting our lifesavers and for supporting the RNLI in saving lives at sea.’
RNLI Media Contacts
For further information, please contact:
Dan Whiteley, Hoylake RNLI Lifeboat Press Officer on 07799 851 316 or [email protected]
Claire Fitzpatrick-Smith, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for Wales, West of England and Isle of Man, 07977 728 315, [email protected]
Danielle Rush, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for Wales, West of England and Isle of Man, 07786 668829, [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.
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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
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