RNLI

Today, we celebrate 200 years of saving lives at sea. Since we were founded on 4 March 1824, our lifesavers have saved over 146,000 lives – that's two lives every day on average. Whether that’s lifeboat crews launching at a moment’s notice, lifeguards patrolling our beaches, or our water safety teams sharing lifesaving skills at home and overseas, we’ve strived to save every one. We’re able to do this thanks to two constants in our 200-year history: our selfless volunteers, who give their time and commitment to save others, and the kindness of supporters like you, powering our lifesavers for 200 years and counting. Thanks to you, we can always answer the call. We’d love to hear your stories, thoughts and memories of the RNLI as we celebrate our 200th anniversary 👇 #RNLI #RNLI200 #200Years #SavingLivesAtSea #Volunteers #ThankYou #LifeboatCrew #Lifeguards

In anticipation of World Drowning Prevention Day, our international team kicked things off early at the United Nations in New York last week. Governments, civil societies and UN agencies gathered at the UN headquarters to review progress made on the Sustainable Development Goals. As the secretariat of the UN Group of Friends on Drowning Prevention, our team organised an event called, ‘A Perfect Storm – exploring the impact of climate change on drowning risks’. The event featured insightful speakers from the World Health Organization, UNICEF UK, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and many others. They discussed how climate change is influencing the nature of drowning risks worldwide and their initiatives in drowning prevention. Drowning claims an estimated 235,000 lives every year, many of them children. That’s why we’re working hard to ensure drowning prevention receives the global attention it deserves. You can watch the full event here: https://lnkd.in/gcSxRsDg #WDPD #DrowningPrevention #WaterSafety #RNLI #UnitedNations Image (Left to Right): Joanne Vincenten, PhD (Health Specialist Child Injury Prevention , UNICEF), H.E. Ambassador Fergal Mythen (Permanent Representative of Ireland), H.E. Ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhith (Permanent Representative of Bangladesh), Natalia Winder-Rossi (Global Director Social Policy and Social Protection, UNICEF)

We’re beyond proud to share that the RNLI has recently won four prestigious awards 🏆 Each recognition showcases the outstanding efforts of our team and the impactful work we do. Here’s a quick rundown of our recent achievements: - Gold at The Drum Awards for Marketing EMEA 2024 Our Creative Team produced a beautiful campaign that relaunched our membership offering, hugely boosting sign-ups and average gifts. - Individual Giving Campaign of the Year at CIOF National Fundraising Awards Our Face-to-Face Fundraising Team recruited over 36,000 new donors and shared over 300,000 water safety messages, transitioning from a summer campaign to a year-round model and showcasing the power of face-to-face engagement. - Legacy Campaign of the Year at the Smee & Ford Legacy Giving Awards Our Legacy Marketing team was honoured for their successful campaign, which inspired new legacy pledgers and strengthened connections with future donors. Their innovative approach, featuring donor names on Legacy Lifeboats, significantly boosted legacy fundraising and increased awareness. - Best Children’s Publication at the 2024 Cultural Enterprises Awards Our Big Christmas Rescue book, written by our very own Rory Stamp and beautifully illustrated by award-winning artist Hannah Lawson, received top recognition, engaging 23,000 young readers with the RNLI’s values. A huge thank you to everyone who has supported us. These awards are a true testament to the hard work and creativity of our amazing teams 💙 If you’re interested in joining one of our award-winning teams, we’re currently hiring Level 1 Fundraisers. Find out more and apply here 👉 rnli.social/3SpDXSQ #RNLI #Fundraising #CIOFAwards #DRUMAwards #SmeeAndFord #CulturalEnterprisesAwards #AwardsSeason #Innovation

We were delighted to be invited by the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins to a garden party at Áras an Uachtar��in. 100 volunteers and staff from the RNLI in Ireland attended the event, invited in honour of our 200th birthday. With a theme of Life Below Water – the sustaining and conserving of our oceans, seas and marine resources, President Higgins opened the celebrations with an address. He spoke of the RNLI’s place in Ireland: ‘As President of Ireland, I want to express my deepest gratitude to all of those involved in the RNLI, for their dedication and their legacy of vital service to coastal communities across Ireland, saving countless lives at sea, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to the promotion of safety and doing so in a sense of community.’ RNLI volunteers and staff were represented with attendees from across the island of Ireland, including the RNLI’s inland stations. Deputy Chair of the RNLI, Fiona Fell was in attendance with RNLI Trustees John Killeen and Paddy McLaughlin. Also present was Vice President Peter Crowley. An afternoon of music and refreshments made the experience one to remember and the President and his wife, Sabina Higgins, made everyone extremely welcome. The President added: ‘Thank you to all of you for all your work and a remarkable legacy of courage, bravery and service, which is an inspiration to us all.’ We couldn’t have said it better ourselves 🧡 Pictured are: President Higgins with Trustee John Killeen and Deputy Chair Fiona Fell and a group shot of the attendees. #RNLI200 #RNLI #Recognition #InspiringStories

Yesterday was a special day for St Peter Port RNLI volunteers as they had the honour of meeting King Charles III and Queen Camilla during Their Majesties first official visit to Guernsey. Our volunteers were thrilled to talk about our lifesaving mission with His Majesty. Volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager, Jason Hobbs said ‘being given the opportunity to talk to the RNLI’s new Royal Patron, King Charles III, about the RNLI’s work on the island was a huge privilege.’ 💙 📷 Tony Rive

As the RNLI commemorates 200 years of saving lives at sea, the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) is celebrating its 100th anniversary. The RNLI played a vital role in the IMRF’s history. On the 2 July 1924, the RNLI invited representatives from countries with a lifeboat service to attend the International Lifeboat Conference in London. This was the first time in history people from lifeboat organisations from across the world had come together to discuss the problems they face and how to tackle them. Following this meeting, the International Lifeboat Federation was founded, which later became the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF). The International Lifeboat Conference in 1924 marked the beginning of the RNLI’s century-long efforts to end global drowning. Find out more about the history of our international work here: https://lnkd.in/epbnmg8c #RNLI200 #IMRF100 #Lifesaving #MaritimeRescue

It's Monday and we could all use a smile! Ever noticed when someone's name perfectly matches their job? At the RNLI we’ve got a line-up that's spot-on. From Jen Crews, to Jake Waterman, to Fiona Trent and David Cox. Oh, and more Shannons than we can count! Got any other great examples of nominative determinism in the RNLI? We know you're out there, so share them in the comments below and make our day 👇

Our new sustainable lifeboat station at Dover has opened for service 🙌 The curved building is designed with sustainability in mind, so it won't need any maintenance for the first 30 years. The build includes bee bricks, solar panels and a ground source heat pump to minimise its carbon footprint and running costs. The station is made largely from Siberian larch (from FSC sustainable certified sources) - selected for its durability qualities in the exposed marine location. This timber will silver over time and slowly blend into its surroundings in a natural way. Dover is one of the earliest lifeboat stations in Britain, having been established in 1837 by the Dover Humane Society. We took it over in 1855. Since then, volunteer crews at Dover have received six RNLI Silver Medals, 13 RNLI Bronze Medals and one Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). The station is part of the Western Docks Revival Scheme, it boasts a larger shop and visitor area as well as up to date changing facilities for the volunteer crew. #Sustainability #Engineering #RNLI

We're thrilled to announce our new partnership with INEOS Automotive 👏 INEOS Automotive are supplying 20 award-winning 4X4 Grenadiers for use at locations throughout the UK and Ireland. This will support us in helping our volunteer lifesavers launch to those who find themselves in difficulty in the water and need our help. The vehicle's main role will be to position, launch and recover the RNLI’s D-class lifeboat at selected stations. Lynn Calder, CEO of INEOS Automotive, shares, 'We’re very proud to support the RNLI, an incredible charity that performs round-the-clock life-saving work in very difficult conditions. Their volunteers rely on vehicles every day, both boats and cars, so this is a powerful endorsement of the Grenadier that it’s able to meet the rigorous standards required for such vital frontline work.' #SavingLivesAtSea #RNLI #INEOSGrenadier

A year ago, swim instructors in Bangladesh were offered menstrual cups, provided by Ruby Cup, as well as training on how to manage their periods. In rural Bangladesh, we’re working with our partner, the Centre for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh (CIPRB) to run the SwimSafe Project, which teaches children aged 6 to 10 survival swimming skills. Most of the community swim instructors are women, and cancellation of swimming classes due to menstruation was having a significant impact on the project’s success. With 40 children dying from drowning everyday, these swimming classes are vital to help prevent drowning. It's been a year since menstruation cups were provided for the first time, and over 90% of instructors have used their cups, and not just for teaching swimming – the women reported using their cup in everyday life. Thanks to menstrual cups, less swimming lessons are cancelled due to menstruation, and more children are taught vital survival swimming skills. We're excited to continue working with the CIPRB to prevent drowning deaths. #MensturalCup #InternationalWork #WaterSafety #DrowningPrevention #Bangladesh