RNLI 200th Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey

Hello everyone,

The service was a very poignant occasion and an extremely proud moment for the whole RNLI family, as we reflected on those we have lost, those we have saved, and all our volunteers and staff serving today. A huge amount of thought and meticulous planning went into every single aspect of the service. I would like to thank the whole team involved, the many participants, and the attendees from across our six lifesaving regions and further afield – I hope you agree that the RNLI’s One Crew ethos was shining brightly throughout.

It was very special to be joined by our President, HRH The Duke of Kent – who will mark his 55th year as RNLI President this year – and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby who delivered an uplifting address. In 1824, the then Archbishop of Canterbury chaired the meeting at which the RNLI was founded at the City of London Tavern on Bishopsgate.

200 years after the foundation of what became the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, I am certain that the people who gathered in the City of London Tavern on 4 March 1824 would feel extremely proud that the Institution they created has lasted for 200 years, with a purpose almost exactly in the image of its founder’s vision.

The pamphlet that Sir William Hillary wrote in 1823 is still as relevant today as it was then. We have a very singular purpose – saving lives at sea – regardless of who we are saving, regardless of whether we have met them before, whether we are at war or peace. It is what we are all devoted to – those who put their lives on the line, the people who keep the public safe on the beaches, and the thousands of people who support us with their time, with their effort, with their money.

The RNLI of today is an Institution of which the United Kingdom and Ireland and all its peoples can be enormously proud. It is one that is worth nurturing, keeping safe, encouraging to go on to new things, to evolve, to meet the challenges of the future.

I am sure you have seen the many images and stories commemorating 200 years of lifesaving across our channels, including the official media release on Monday. Congratulations to all those involved in delivering all this content – including over 3,150 items of media coverage (national and regional) and nearly 5,000 incoming items on social media on Monday alone. If you have not seen it already, watch our hero video which has received great engagement.

There are many special moments to this job, but to be present at Westminster on Monday as Chief Executive of this remarkable charity was an enormous privilege. It has been the greatest honour of my life to lead the charity through the last five years and I look forward to my final four months and seeing as many of you as possible.

Thank you for everything you continue to do to save lives at sea and Happy 200th Birthday to the RNLI!

With best wishes,

Mark

Mark Dowie
Chief Executive RNLI

Westminster Vote of Thanks

It is a great privilege to be with you here today as we give thanks for those who have given so much in the name of saving lives at sea: their time, their courage, their support and, in some cases, their own lives.

Two hundred years ago, Sir William Hillary - founder of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution - wrote a plea for volunteers to ‘risk their own lives for those whom they have never known or seen’. Good people responded then and have continued to do so for two centuries: men and women showing extraordinary courage, supported by volunteers and donors who hold the RNLI’s values dear.

For a charity to have survived 200 years based on the time and commitment of volunteers - and on the sheer generosity of the public who provide kind donations - is truly remarkable. It is thanks to their dedication that the RNLI has survived the test of time, including tragic losses, funding challenges, two World Wars and, more recently, a global pandemic. Since 1824, our volunteers have saved more than 146,000 lives around the coastlines of the UK and Ireland. We will never forget the hundreds of RNLI crew members tragically lost while providing this service.

I would therefore like you to join me in commemorating all those who have selflessly given their lives to help save others and freely given their time, energy, and passion for our cause since 1824. On behalf of the whole RNLI family and the communities we serve, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all those remarkable volunteers.

Let us also celebrate the achievements of today’s crew, volunteers, communities, and supporters. They provide a world-class lifesaving service, based on 200 years of learning, expertise and innovation. They are people of all ages, active all around and across our nations, from diverse backgrounds, united by the RNLI’s vision: to save every one we can.

This is a vision which depends on the lifesavers and supporters who will take the RNLI into its next century and beyond. So, as we give thanks for all those who have gone before, it is our sincere hope that their achievements inspire a new generation of courageous, generous and selfless people who will continue to help save lives at sea.

Thank you.