Celebrating 200 years of lifesaving: Wells RNLI Anniversary events
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is set to mark its 200-year journey from 1824 to 2024, Wells RNLI is to hold a series of celebratory events in Wells from Friday 1st March at Wells Maltings.
After months of planning Wells RNLI has finalised events for a weekend of celebrations to commemorate 200 years of saving lives at sea, from Friday 1 March to Sunday 3 March.
It’s such an amazing milestone for the RNLI, but everything achieved in that time has only been made possible by ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
On Friday 1 March, with the help and dedication to support this event from Wells Maltings, the opening of ‘The 200th Anniversary’ exhibition will kick off a full weekend of activities organised by Wells RNLI to remember the RNLI's remarkable history, celebrate the continuing lifesaving services of today, and look forward to inspiring a new generation of lifesavers and supporters for the future.
Students from Alderman Peel High school and Wells-next-the-sea Primary school will also display their work within the exhibition. They have been tasked to create 2D and 3D mixed media artwork pieces, alongside submitting their best photography based on the theme of the RNLI and North Norfolk Coastline, as well as lifeboats across the UK. The RNLI look forward to seeing where their imaginations take them on this challenge and how they wish to represent the achievements in the 200th Anniversary.
Simon Daykin, Director Wells Maltings; said: ‘The role that the RNLI plays in Wells – and around the country – is more than vital. Aside from its rescue role, the lifeboat is embedded and entwined into the fabric of the community and its heritage. In our small way at Wells Maltings, we are delighted to be celebrating its first 200 years with this special weekend of events and activities.'
It is an opportunity to celebrate with crew and station volunteers, past and present, and show the community’s appreciation for the many years of service the lifeboat station has provided. The public is warmly invited to attend all these events and share these moments of celebration, reflecting on 200 years of service and achievement.
Wells RNLI, volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer, Jess Curtis expressed: ‘It’s been an honour to work alongside Wells Maltings to organise all these events and to be able to invite local schools to showcase how they view 200 years of lifesaving, they are the future of Wells RNLI. It's important to inspire them. Apart from reflecting on 200 years of service, it will also be a chance for our crew members, our station’s volunteers, and all our families, to come together with the local community in an important celebration of a major milestone in our history.’
Notes to editors
List of events and media opportunities:
200th anniversary exhibition, 1 – 9 March 2024.
Media invited from 1pm on Friday 1 March for preview.
Daily, 10am – 5pm.
A visual celebration of the work of the Wells lifeboat and its importance to the community, featuring work created by students at Alderman Peel High School and Wells primary school, plus archive materials from Wells Lifeboat station.
The Grand ‘Heave-To’ Quiz , Friday 1 March 7.30pm.
Maltings’ quizzes go nautical! Pit your wits against others and quizmaster Simon Daykin for a fun evening of questions, answers and general banter with a distinctly watery flavour.
£12 per team (up to 4).
The Wells Wet Welly Walk - Saturday 2 March and Sunday 3 March.
Put on your stoutest wellies and coat and get out and about with a self-guided walk around Wells to find the Yellow Wellies. Discovering a few secrets and less known features of our town. Call into Wells Maltings visitor information centre for your map for a small donation to RNLI funds. Prize on return.
Water safety talks - Saturday 10am-4pm.
Learn about water safety with Wells RNLI's Water safety officer Mandy.
Activities and games, Get ready for a photo with Stormy Stan.
Watery Crafts, Saturday 2 March, between 10am and 2pm, Wells Maltings.
A range of family crafting activities with a watery and nautical feel. Join us at any time between 10am and 2pm. Free, but donations welcome. Just the thing to do with a warming hot chocolate after your Wet Welly Walk!
Seaside Special, Sat 2 March, 6pm.
A screening of the German film that’s taken the UK by storm. After launching at Wells Maltings last January, Jens Meurer’s heartfelt love letter to the British coast has won awards internationally – see it again in the place where it started. £6.
Followed by:
Brew with the Crew, Saturday 2 March 7.30pm.
After the screening of Seaside Special, join coxswain Nicky King and others from the Wells RNLI crew in the Wells Maltings bar for a light-hearted chat, hosted by Maltings director Simon Daykin. Refreshments will be available.
Wells RNLI Shannon class lifeboat Duke of Edinburgh will arrive in the Quay at approximately 10am for viewing where the crew will preform manoeuvres before heading out on exercise.
The Blakeney Old Wild Rovers, Sunday 3 March 1pm.
The weekend of celebration ends with just the thing for a relaxed Sunday lunchtime. Join us in the Maltings bar for shanties and banter, courtesy of local shanty men The Blakeney Old Wild Rovers. Free, with donations welcome.
Wells RNLI will be running raffles throughout the weekend. All tickets available from Wells Maltings box office, all proceeds to Wells RNLI:
Wells Maltings 01328 710885 [email protected]
RNLI Media contacts
For more information, please contact Jessica Curtis, volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer at Wells RNLI: [email protected]
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.