North Berwick RNLI long serving volunteers invited to Royal Garden Party

Brian Anderson (shore crew), Ian McMinn (launch authority), and Rhona Meikle (helm) joined around 2,500 of the RNLI’s long-serving volunteers, staff and families at the RNLI 200th Anniversary Garden Party in the presence of HRH The Princess Royal, accompanied by Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, and RNLI President HRH The Duke of Kent.

Among those who attended from across the charity were lifeboat crew, lifeguards, water safety volunteers, fundraisers, recent recipients of meritorious service awards and The King’s Birthday and New Year Honours.

Ian McMinn recently received a long service award for 50 years of service to the RNLI, as a crew member, dedicated fundraiser and now station official overseeing the lifesaving service in the town. Ian was accompanied by his sister Jane McMinn who has helped with the fundraising at the station for many years.

Rhona Meikle started out as a fundraiser before joining the crew and working her way up to being the longest serving helm currently at the station, with a 30 year long-service award.

Rhona is also a lifeboat press officer for the station and heavily involved in fundraising, alongside her mother, Jean Meikle who accompanied Rhona to the garden party and who has also shown exemplary commitment to the North Berwick and Gullane RNLI Fundraising Branch over the years.

Brian Anderson recently stepped down from a position as helm on the D-class lifeboat stationed at North Berwick and is currently a member of the shore crew driving the station’s County Tractor to launch the lifeboat.

Brian recently received his 30 year long-service award and was accompanied by his wife, Laura Anderson who is the current chair of the North Berwick and Gullane RNLI Fundraising Branch.

RNLI Chief Executive Mark Dowie said: ‘It was an honour to meet so many of our long-serving volunteers, staff and their families and to thank them personally for their unwavering commitment. They are all lifesavers.’

‘We thank our Patron, His Majesty The King, for granting permission for the RNLI 200th Anniversary Garden Party to take place at Buckingham Palace in celebration of 200 years of saving lives at sea, and The Duke of Kent who has been hugely supportive of our charity throughout the past 55 years as our President.’

Since the RNLI was founded on 4 March 1824, following an appeal to the nation from Sir William Hillary, the charity has saved more than 146,277 lives – this equates to an average of two lives saved every day for 200 years.

Today, the RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland, including four on the River Thames, and has seasonal lifeguards on around 240 lifeguarded beaches around the UK.

Notes to editors

• In 2023 RNLI lifeboats from 238 stations across the UK and RoI launched 9,192 times saving 355 lives, RNLI Lifeguards saved a further 151 lives, North Berwick launched 21 times.
• It cost £1,400 a year to train each crew member in the lifesaving skills they need to answer the call for help
• 97% of the RNLI’s frontline lifesavers are volunteers including over 5,700 lifeboat crew members.
• In 2022 it cost the RNLI £188M to run it’s charitable lifesaving service, 6 in 10 of the lifeboat launches were funded be generous supporters leaving the RNLI a gift in their will.

RNLI media contacts

Matthew Gibbons, Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer, North Berwick, [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]
24 hour RNLI Central Press Office, 01202 336789 or email [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.

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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.