2009: RNLI Memorial

Around the coasts of the UK and Ireland, there are many memorials and tributes to the brave and selfless local lifeboat crews who have lost their lives in the pursuit of saving lives at sea.

The RNLI Memorial sculpture in Poole, Dorset, brings together the names of each and every RNLI crew member who sacrificed their life to save the lives of others.

Sam Holland’s sculpture, depicting a person in a boat saving another from the water, symbolises the history and future of the RNLI in its most basic and humanitarian form.

Sam intended her design to be bold and simple, incorporating the elements of courage, loss and remembrance.

Designed to be a beacon of hope, it honours those who continue to save lives at sea, as well as those lost in the act of lifesaving.

This memorial serves as a source of inspiration for current and future generations of lifeboat crew, lifeguards, supporters and fundraisers. It reminds us that there are still people who volunteer to carry out selfless acts of heroism to help others; and we will always remember their sacrifice.

In most cases, the names listed on the memorial saved the lives of others before losing their own. See the list of names here.