Tynemouth Lifeboat Station celebrates RNLI’s 200th anniversary

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.

The first purpose-built lifeboat Original began saving lives on the River Tyne in 1790. Tynemouth has had a lifeboat station since 1798. It became part of an institution 200 years ago in 1824 and the RNLI took over in 1862. Tynemouth’s crews have launched the lifeboats 2,632 times and saved 854 lives.

Operating from the historic North Shields Fish Quay, Tynemouth operates a D class inshore lifeboat and a Severn class all-weather lifeboat. The station’s crews have been awarded 22 medals for gallantry.

In honour of the dedication of the station’s crews over 200 years, the Millennium Bridge will be illuminating in RNLI yellow from Dusk on Monday 4^th March. Crews will be heading to the bridge on the D Class vessel and on foot to capture the moment in pictures and film.

Sam Clow, coxswain from Tynemouth Lifeboat Station said:

‘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. Thank you to all our supporters’.

Angela Rook, RNLI Associate Director added: ‘We are delighted that North East mariners are supporting the RNLI by sounding their ships’ whistles at noon on the charity’s 200^th anniversary and their support extends to crew at Tynemouth Lifeboat Station

‘This recognises the strong and lasting relationship between sea-goers and our volunteer rescue crews who have been saving lives at sea for 200 years. We hope, with the support of our kind and generous donors and their communities, they will always be able to do so.’

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.

RNLI Chief Executive, Mark Dowie, says: ‘It has been an honour and a privilege to be at the helm of the RNLI for the past five years, and to see the charity reach its bicentenary. For a charity to have survived 200 years based on the time and commitment of volunteers, and the sheer generosity of the public donating to fund it, is truly remarkable. It is through the courage and dedication of its incredible people that the RNLI has survived the tests of time, including tragic losses, funding challenges, two World Wars and, more recently, a global pandemic.

‘Today, we mark the bicentenary of the RNLI. We remember the achievements and commitment of all those who have been part of the RNLI family over the past two centuries; we celebrate the world-class lifesaving service we provide today, based on our 200 years of learning, expertise, and innovation, and we hope to inspire future generations of lifesavers and supporters who will take the RNLI into its next century and beyond.

‘I am immensely grateful to everyone who is involved with the charity – our volunteers, supporters, and staff. This is our watch and it is our role to keep our charity safe and secure so it can continue to save lives into the future, as we strive in our vision to save every one.’

Throughout its bicentenary year, the charity is running events and activities to remember its important history and celebrate the modern lifesaving service it is today, while hoping to inspire generations of future lifesavers and supporters.

For further information about the RNLI’s 200^th 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.

• A media pack comprising editorial, a timeline, archive images and footage is available. Please click here to view: https://source.rnli.org.uk/share/BFB9E9AE-F751-4FC1-87625DE5007A4E17/.

• To view current and archive photographs of Tynemouth RNLI visit: https://source.rnli.org.uk/share/1E23D730-0901-4623-A135C4AAE0137DCD/

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.