On Monday 4 March seven of the charity’s volunteers were proud to represent Littlehampton lifeboat station at Westminster Abbey joining crews and fundraisers from across the UK and Ireland to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the founding of the RNLI.

The idea for the charity was formulated by Sir William Hillary. Living in Douglas, on the Isle of Man, Hillary witnessed many shipwrecks along the Manx coast and with the help of locals saved many lives that would otherwise have been lost. In February 1823 he published a pamphlet with his plans for a lifeboat service for the whole of the UK and Ireland appealing for a ‘National Institution for the Preservation of Lives and Property from Shipwreck.’ With the support of two MPs benefactors were obtained and King George IV offered royal patronage. On 4 March 1824 at the London Tavern in Bishopsgate the fledgling RNLI was inaugurated.

Nick White, Jim Cosgrove, Cian Mathews, Lynne Stephens, Gill Partington, Ian Flack and Anthony Fogg attended the commemoration service at Westminster Abbey representing all those involved in lifeboat operations and fundraising at Littlehampton. The station’s history goes back to 1840 with records indicating 2,846 launches and 392 lives saved up to the end of 2023.

Representatives from Littlehampton’s lifeboat station and fundraising branch attended the RNLI 200 years commemoration service, Westminster Abbey, 4 March 2024. Pictured in front of a lifeboat at Westminster Abbey (left to right) are Anthony Fogg, Gill Partington, Cian Mathews, Nick White, Jim Cosgrove, Lynne Stephens and Ian Flack. Image: RNLI/Anthony Fogg

Those visiting the harbour on the east bank near Fisherman’s Quay will be greeted by a modern boathouse built in 2002 which is home to two inshore lifeboats named Ray of Hope (a D-Class single engine) and Renee Sherman (a B-Class twin engine). Several of the station’s lifeboats, now retired, were proud to carry the name Blue Peter I for fifty years from 1967 until 2017. Next to the boathouse is the RNLI shop and to commemorate the 200th anniversary there is an exclusive range of items available for purchase that support the charity.

Nick White, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Littlehampton lifeboat station, said: ‘It was inspiring to witness so many of the charity’s volunteers gathered together to mark the bicentenary of the RNLI. Knowing that we are carrying on a two hundred year tradition of going to sea in all weathers to assist those in distress is humbling. Together with my colleagues from Littlehampton and RNLI volunteers from all points of the compass it has been an honour to commemorate 200 years of saving lives at sea; 200 years and counting.’

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