Representatives from Cumbria’s RNLI crews were invited to a royal garden party at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the charity’s 200th anniversary.
The RNLI 200th Anniversary Garden Party was held by The Princess Royal, accompanied by Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, and The Duke of Kent yesterday, Thursday, May 23.
The Duke of Kent has been president of the RNLI since 1969 during which time volunteer lifeboat crews and beach lifeguards have saved more than 51,000 lives.
Sir Tim is also a vice president of the lifesaving charity and former deputy chair.
The garden party will bring together around 2,500 of the RNLI’s long-serving volunteers, staff and their families and also featured an Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat in the palace grounds.
Among those attending from across the charity were representatives from Cumbria’s lifeboat stations.
Richard Glynn, 49, began volunteering with Workington RNLI in August 2003 until he was employed by the charity as a full-time mechanic in November 2004, a post he still holds today.
He said: “I was honoured to have been selected to attend the garden party and represent Wales and North West.
“It was a great day – the sun was shining – and it was amazing to have been there.
“I was extremely honoured to have been selected to meet The Princess Royal, Sir Tim Laurence, and The Duke of Kent, which really topped off the occasion.”
Also attending from Workington RNLI were crewmen Graeme Lawson and Ian Cormack.
Graeme, 51, has been a part of the crew for 21 years and is a coxswain on the all-weather lifeboat the Dorothy May White.
He said: “The best part about being on the crew is being part of a great group of people who put the lives of others first.
“It was great to catch up with other crew members at Buckingham Palace who I have met before through the RNLI.
RNLI chief executive Mark Dowie said: “We are incredibly honoured that The King has granted permission for the RNLI 200th anniversary garden party to take place at Buckingham Palace in celebration of 200 years of saving lives at sea.
“Our hosts have been hugely supportive of our charity over many decades.
“Volunteers are the lifeblood of the RNLI and I am looking forward to being able to thank them personally, along with their equally dedicated families and our long-serving staff members, for their courage and commitment to saving lives.”
Head of volunteering at the RNLI Donna McReath said: “I would like to thank each and every one of our incredible volunteers.
‘We couldn’t do what we do without their vital support and the time and effort they generously dedicate in a wide variety of roles, from lifesaving crew to fundraisers and those who volunteer in our shops, museums or by sharing our water safety messaging.
‘They are all lifesavers, and this special garden party was a wonderful opportunity to recognise and celebrate the joy and impact of volunteering for the RNLI. We are always looking for new volunteers to join our charity to help us continue saving lives at sea.”
Since the RNLI was founded on March 4 1824, following an appeal to the nation from Sir William Hillary, the charity has saved more than 146,277 lives – this equates to an average of two lives saved every day for 200 years.
Today, the RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland, including four on the River Thames, and has seasonal lifeguards on around 240 lifeguarded beaches around the UK.
