Connecting our Communities
Join us as we connect communities from across the RNLI to mark 200 years of lifesaving.
Get ready for our exciting relay-style event, Connecting our Communities, to mark the RNLI’s 200th anniversary. With Ford as our partner, we’re transporting a special scroll far and wide in an all-electric Ford E-Transit, bringing RNLI communities together for this extraordinary moment in our lifesaving history.
On this scroll is the RNLI’s One Crew pledge, in which we promise our commitment to saving every one we can, without judgment – staying true to Sir William Hillary’s vision when he founded the charity in 1824.
No matter how you help save lives at sea – whether you’re a selfless volunteer or a kind supporter – we’d love for you to get involved. Come and see the scroll up-close at an event near you, and see lifesavers sign the pledge on behalf of their communities.
Discover the scroll
On the scroll is the RNLI’s One Crew pledge, in which we promise to continue saving every one we can for the next 200 years and counting. Lifesavers from across the UK and Ireland, and our patron, president, and chief executive, will sign the scroll to recognise all we have achieved so far as we mark our special anniversary year.
Printed on bamboo paper, the scroll will travel through RNLI communities far and wide during 2024. By passing this pledge from one incredible community to the next, we hope to inspire the next generation of lifesavers.
During its journey, the scroll will be kept safe in a bespoke case – made from the same materials used to build and maintain our lifeboats, stations and lifeguard units.
The case has been crafted by skilled apprentices at the Inshore Lifeboat Centre on the Isle of Wight.
The spindle attached to the scroll was made by the team at the All-weather Lifeboat Centre in Poole. To commemorate our heritage, Technician Boatbuilder David Martin crafted the spindle ends using a 19th-century flagpole from Ramsey Lifeboat Station, Isle of Man. This flagpole dates back to the early 1890s, when Ramsey's Norbury Boathouse was built.
As our partner, Ford has supplied a specially designed all-electric E-Transit van to transport the scroll from one RNLI community to the next.
Follow the scroll on its journey and discover events near you
The scroll will travel through every RNLI region and country in 2024. On 4 March 2024 – the RNLI’s 200th anniversary – the scroll started its route at the Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey. It will continue travelling until October 2024, when it will end its journey in Douglas, Isle of Man, the former home of Sir William Hillary.
Look at the map below to find out where the scroll has been, where it’s heading next, and details of events along the way – so you don’t miss out on the action.
There will be more stops added as we go, so make sure you come back to see the next section of the route.
This map is being constantly updated with the latest information. If you have any questions about the details on the map, please email the 200th team – [email protected].
