Mudeford RNLI to attend Buckingham Palace garden party for 200th anniversary

The RNLI 200th Anniversary Garden Party will be held by HRH The Princess Royal, accompanied by Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, and HRH The Duke of Kent on Thursday, 23 May.

The Duke of Kent has been President of the RNLI since 1969 during which time volunteer lifeboat crews and beach lifeguards have saved more than 51,000 lives. Sir Tim Laurence is also a Vice President of the lifesaving charity and former Deputy Chair.

The garden party will bring together around 2,500 of the RNLI’s long-serving volunteers, staff and their families and will also feature an Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat in the palace grounds.

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

Representing Mudeford RNLI are volunteer Helms, Pete Dadds and Justin O’Connell and former crew member and now Lifeboat Station Treasurer, Kevin Dingley. Between them they have more than 100 years experience volunteering with the RNLI.

Pete, a local fisherman, joined the Mudeford lifeboat crew in 1989. Pete said, ‘Things were a little different in the early days. My first job was to help launch the lifeboat by literally pushing it out to sea! Having been with Mudeford RNLI for over two thirds of my life, I have seen the station evolve and adapt to meet the needs of the community and I feel very proud and privileged to be part of such a great crew.’

Justin, better known to his fellow crew members as “Joc”, joined the crew 20 years ago. He commented, ‘A good friend on the crew pushed me to join and I have never looked back. When the pager goes off, we rarely know what situation we will face out on the water, but we are all there for each other and focused on getting to those in difficulty as quickly as possible and saving lives.’

Kevin joined the Mudeford Lifeboat Station 50 years ago. After serving for many years as boat crew, Kevin is now Treasurer for the station and the Mudeford RNLI fundraising crew. He also works as a tour guide for Poole RNLI College. Kevin explains, ‘Since I was 16 I have been a part of Mudeford RNLI. Growing up around Mudeford Quay, I knew the local fishermen and was asked to join the crew. My first task in the lifeboat was to prove to the head of the station Ken Derham, that I could row it. When I asked why, Ken responded, “If you cannot control the lifeboat with the oars, I am not going to let you control it with the engine!” ‘.

Peter, Justin, and Kevin all agreed, ’When you join the Mudeford Lifeboat Station crew you become part of an amazing family who are committed to helping people in difficulty. We feel very honoured to be invited by his Majesty The King to celebrate the 200^th anniversary of the RNLI and we hope others will be inspired to join and continue the charity’s vital work, saving lives at sea.’

RNLI Chief Executive Mark Dowie said: ‘We are incredibly honoured that His Majesty The King has granted permission for the RNLI 200th Anniversary Garden Party to take place at Buckingham Palace in celebration of 200 years of saving lives at sea.

‘Our hosts, The Princess Royal, The Duke of Kent, and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, have been hugely supportive of our charity over many decades and it will be a huge honour and privilege for many of our volunteers and staff to meet them.

‘Volunteers are the lifeblood of the RNLI, and I am looking forward to being able to thank them personally, along with their equally dedicated families and our long-serving staff members, for their courage and commitment to saving lives.’

Head of Volunteering at the RNLI Donna McReath said: ‘I would like to thank each and every one of our incredible volunteers.

‘We couldn’t do what we do without their vital support and the time and effort they generously dedicate in a wide variety of roles, from lifesaving crew to fundraisers and those who volunteer in our shops, museums or by sharing our water safety messaging.

‘They are all lifesavers, and this special Garden Party is a wonderful opportunity to recognise and celebrate the joy and impact of volunteering for the RNLI. We are always looking for new volunteers to join our charity to help us continue saving lives at sea.’

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.

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.