Songs of Praise marks RNLI’s 200th anniversary in special Scarborough episode
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s 200th anniversary of saving lives at sea will be marked by BBC One’s Songs of Praise which has filmed a special bicentenary episode onboard the Scarborough RNLI lifeboat and at the Grace Darling Museum in Bamburgh.
The special programme sees presenter The Rev Canon Kate Bottley interview lifesaving volunteer crew while afloat on Scarborough station’s £2.5m Shannon lifeboat
Frederick William Plaxton and will be bradcast on BBC One on Sunday 3rd March at 1.15pm.
It comes as the RNLI prepares to celebrate 200 years of saving lives at sea – thanks to volunteers, like those at Yorkshire lifeboat stations, giving their time to save others, all funded by voluntary public donations.
On the day the charity turns 200, the RNLI is revealing its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved an incredible 146,277 lives during its two centuries of lifesaving.
Scarborough RNLI lifeboat station was founded in 1801 and in that time its crews have launched the lifeboats 1,783 times and saved 583 lives.
The programme showcases the lifesaving operation from the station’s new state-of-the-art lifeboathouse which opened in November 2016. During filming, Rev Kate interviewed crew members to find out what inspires them to give up their time to save others. Those to go in front of the camera include Coxswain Lee Marton and volunteer Rudi Barman and station Chaplain Rev Pam Jennings spoke of the role faith plays at Scarborough RNLI.
Lee Matron, Coxswain from Scarborough Lifeboat Station, said: ‘It was a pleasure to host the Songs of Praise crew and show them around our Shannon Lifeboat in the bay. The RNLI has been saving lives for 200 years; we’re the latest generation carrying on the lifesaving work which has been carried out by many generations before us and it was good to showcase what we do for the songs of praise audience’.
Also featured is Donna Loveland, whose brother Andrew McGeowan, died aged 32 after going into the sea to try and save his dog Arnold in February 2015. She tells how tragedy inspired her to establish the Andrew McGeowan Legacy Fund, which now pays for the RNLI to put on a series of Swim Safe water safety lessons for children each summer in the North Bay. The Family’s lifesaving legacy continues further with their brother Pete McGeowan now the station’s mechanic.
There are hymns from St Mary’s Church in Scarborough including a version of Eternal Father Strong to Save which features a special new verse dedicated to lifeboat crews.
On the Northumberland coast, Kate explores the importance of faith to Grace Darling, whose involvement in a courageous sea rescue in 1838 launched her to national fame and made her an icon of the RNLI.
Founded in a London tavern on 4 March 1824 following an appeal from Sir William Hillary, who lived on the Isle of Man and witnessed many shipwrecks, the RNLI has continued saving lives at sea throughout the tests of its history, including tragic disasters, funding challenges and two World Wars.
Two centuries have seen vast developments in the lifeboats and kit used by the charity’s lifesavers – from the early oar-powered vessels to today’s technology-packed boats, which are now built in-house by the charity; and from the rudimentary cork lifejackets of the 1850s to the full protective kit each crew member is now issued with.
The RNLI’s lifesaving reach and remit has also developed over the course of 200 years. Today, it operates 238 lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland, including four on the River Thames, and has seasonal lifeguards on over 240 lifeguarded beaches around the UK. It designs and builds its own lifeboats and runs domestic and international water safety programmes.
While much has changed in 200 years, two things have remained the same – the charity’s dependence on volunteers, who give their time and commitment to save others, and the voluntary contributions from the public which have funded the service for the past two centuries.
The episode can be viewed from this link afterwards: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001x0w1
For further information about the RNLI’s 200th anniversary, visit RNLI.org/200.
Notes to Editors
- Statistics from RNLI Operational Data from 4 March 1824 to 31 December 2023 inclusive. A life saved shows how many of the people helped by the RNLI would have lost their life had the RNLI not been there.
- Click here to access the RNLI 200th anniversary media pack, which contains a selection of RNLI archive images from key points in the charity’s history, an RNLI history timeline, and a film of ‘200 years in 200 seconds’ – all of which can be downloaded.
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.