Kippford RNLI Celebrates 200 Years of Saving Lives at Sea
As the RNLI celebrates it’s 200th Anniversary in 2024 the volunteers are Kippford Lifeboat Station are taking the opportunity to offer a range of events and activities for everyone to enjoy.
Monday 4th March saw the anniversary date being formally marked at lifeboat stations across the country as well as at Westminster Abbey. The volunteers at Kippford came together to raise the 200th anniversary flag for the occasion.
Some of the crew then organised a quiz night at the Anchor Hotel in Kippford on Thursday 28th March. The event was ably hosted by one of our launch authorities, Gordon, and was well attended with 29 teams taking part. Over £600 was raised for the RNLI.
The next event to take place will be a Rock n Roll disco evening on Saturday 27th April. This will be held in Kippford Village Hall from 7.30pm. Tickets are £10 and available from the Kippford RNLI shop or getting in touch with the station. Everyone is welcome to enjoy some nostalgic music and dance the night away.
There has been a series of three walking trails created to support the RNLI this year. Taking in some of the sights around Kippford participants will be able to follow the map and use clues to answer questions along the way. The trails vary in length and difficulty and utilise the network of core paths and public routes around Kippford Nature Reserve, the National Trust for Scotland and Forestry and Land Scotland. Trails are available from Kippford RNLI Shop and the Ark Tearoom in Kippford at a cost of £2 per map or £5 for all 3. A grateful thanks goes to the Kippford Association for their support with the printing costs.
Recently, Solway Yacht Club Cadets tested the trails as part of their Easter activities. Over 20 young people took part and had a great time exploring the routes and finding the answers to the quiz.
Lifeboat Operations Manager, Gareth Jones, said; ‘Reaching a 200th Anniversary is a remarkable achievement for any organisation and everyone at Kippford is really proud to be involved. We’re hoping to run lots of events throughout the year giving locals and visitors a chance to get involved and find out more about the RNLI. The anniversary is a great chance for us to inspire the next generation of lifesavers and supporters whilst we celebrate our history.’
Look out for details of future events on the Kippford RNLI Facebook page including a children's poster competition and the ever popular station open day in July.
RNLI media contacts
Laura Wilson, Lifeboat Press Officer, 07756 125917, [email protected]
Natasha Bennett, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for Scotland, 07826 900639, [email protected]
Tom McGuire, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for Scotland and Ireland, 00353 87 476 4436, [email protected]
Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Communications Lead 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.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.