Naming Ceremony and Service of Dedication takes place at Blyth RNLI

It was a proud afternoon for Blyth RNLI when in front of invited guests and the volunteers associated with the lifeboat station,Shirley Brook officially handed over the D class lifeboat to the station.

First of all, Terry Healy, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Blyth RNLI gave a warm welcome to the assembled guests and especially to Shirley and friends that had travelled to Blyth.

Shirley, the donor of the new D class lifeboat then took to the stage to explain how she came to name the lifeboat Sally Forth. It was in memory of her late husband Alan, a commemoration of Shirley and Alan's life together, and a tribute to the work of the RNLI.

Sally has letters from her name and around 'Al' which is what she used to call him. The phrase Sally Forth came to mind which is defined in the Cambridge English Dictionary :'To leave a safe place in a brave or confident way in order to do something difficult.'

The lifeboat was then handed over to Fiona Fell a trustee of the charity to which then Terry Healy accepted the lifeboat on behalf Blyth RNLI Lifeboat Station.

RNLI Blyth Chaplain, Reverend Den Harding lead the Service of Dedication after which Shirley was then invited to officially name the lifeboat.

Terry Healy then gave a Vote of Thanks and closed the proceedings. Afterwards the volunteer crew then took Sally Forth onto the water and demonstrated her capabilities to the watching audience.

The D class lifeboat was also joined on the water by Blyth RNLI's Atlantic 85 lifeboat.

Speaking afterwards Terry Healy, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Blyth RNLI said; 'It was a honour for Blyth RNLI to welcome Shirley to the lifeboat station and to be able to thank her in person for her kind generosity in donating a new lifeboat to the station. It gave her an opportunity to see the lifeboat for herself, and to meet the volunteer crew who will use it to save lives at sea.'

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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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