Campbeltown RNLI volunteers celebrate naming ceremony

The lifeboat D-870 Leonard Mills arrived at Campbeltown RNLI Lifeboat Station on Thursday 17 October 2022 and has already launched to 12 callouts, but this weekend saw the boat officially named in Campbeltown.

Representatives from the RNLI and the local community gathered at Campbeltown RNLI Lifeboat Station on Saturday 14 October to celebrate the new inshore lifeboat D-870 Leonard Mills.

The naming ceremony was followed by a service of dedication, which was opened by George Bradley, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Campbeltown RNLI Lifeboat Station.

The ceremony was followed by speeches from the following individuals: Marjorie Leighton, representing the donor, Chris Smith, Chair of the RNLI Scottish Council, Rev. Chris Holden, and David Cox.

D-870 Leonard Mills was funded by Mrs Dorothy Mills, who left her estate to the RNLI. The inshore lifeboat is named in memory of her late husband, Leonard (Len), and Mrs Mills actually left enough to the RNLI to fund two D-class lifeboats to be built.

The second lifeboat, D-811 Dorothy Mills, will be named at the Inshore Lifeboat Centre based in East Cowes on the Isle of Wight later this month.

The new inshore lifeboat, Leonard Mills, will help the lifeboat crew at Campbeltown RNLI to save more lives at sea, with the ability to operate closer to the shore and in confined locations, such as close to cliffs and among rocks. She is also highly manoeuvrable.

Carla Jackson, D Class Helm, says: ‘Today is a special day for all of us here in Campbeltown as we celebrate our brand new inshore lifeboat, Leonard Mills. This new lifeboat will allow us to continue to save lives at sea, and has already been launched 12 times.

‘Ahead of the RNLI’s 200^th anniversary next year, we’re delighted to receive this lifeboat to propel us forward into the future and service the local community.

‘The RNLI is funded entirely by generous donations from the public, and we couldn’t continue our vital work without generous donators like this one. We’re incredibly grateful to Mrs Dorothy Mills for leaving this incredibly generous donation to the RNLI to fund our inshore lifeboat, named after her husband, Leonard. We’re honoured to have Leonard Mills here with us in Campbeltown to help us save lives at sea.’

The D class inshore lifeboat has been the workhorse of the RNLI for over 50 years. She is highly manoeuvrable and usually operates closer to shore than our all-weather lifeboats. She comes into her own for searches and rescues in the surf, shallow water and confined locations – often close to cliffs, among rocks and even inside caves.

Notes to editors

· Campbeltown lifeboat station has been operating since 1861. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/campbeltown-lifeboat-station

RNLI media contacts

Carla Jackson, Lifeboat Press Officer, [email protected]

Natasha Bennett, RNLI Regional Media Officer for Scotland, 07826 900639, [email protected]

Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Media Manager for Scotland, 07920 365929, [email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide 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.

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