THRIVING AGAIN

Early days were very modest but in the last two decades or so around £5,000 each year has been raised with a record £13,000 one year.

The high point was the funding of a D Class lifeboat placed on service at Sunderland, Tyne and Wear in 2002. Fundraising took three years of extra effort as the boat cost £13,000 back then.

Five committee members attended the ceremony to dedicate the lifeboat and during its 10-year service it was responsible for saving seven lives – plus one dog!

The end in 2015 of the Sea Dog Saunters and house to house collections, which together used to produce more than 50 percent of our funds, saw a decline but post-Covid the branch is thriving and planning big things in this bi-centenary year.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The RNLI provides 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 142,700 lives.