Seven Scarborough RNLI crew attend Westminster Abbey for RNLI 200th anniversary

The Service of Thanksgiving was attended by representatives from across the RNLI and supporters, including crew members from all 238 lifeboat stations and 240 lifeguarded beaches around the UK and Ireland.

It celebrated the elite lifesaving organisation and the 146,000 lives saved, whilst aiming to inspire new volunteers, donors and supporters for the next 200 years.

Scarborough RNLI had seven representatives at the service: one lifeboat crew, one shore crew, four from the Scarborough Ladies Lifeboat Guild and the station's Lifeboat Press Officer, Laura Lyth.

Ms Lyth said: “‘As soon as we arrived outside Westminster Abbey, the atmosphere was happy and full of celebration.

“Representatives from across the RNLI were getting along as though we had known each other for a lifetime, swapping stories of where we were from, our roles within the RNLI and what it meant to be attending this prestigious service.”

For a time, Ms Lyth spoke with William Rogerson, Lifeboat Treasurer and Chaplin, Trearddur Bay RNLI, Anglesey.

Upon sharing she was from Scarborough RNLI, he smiled and complemented the station, commenting that his last visit to Scarborough RNLI was in 2019.

He continued with sharing that a few years before, he took part in 'The Dash', an RNLI fundraising event where he and his son and daughter (crew at Trearddur Bay), visited as many lifeboat stations in 48 hours as they could, including Scarborough RNLI.

He stated that it was 'great fun' and that he 'always enjoys visiting Scarborough RNLI.'

Ms Lyth said: “It was a lovely moment to share, discovering my station had left such a positive impression on a fellow RNLI volunteer.

“It emphasised the meaning of being One Crew, not limited by the boundaries of our home station.

The ethos of One Crew applies throughout the whole charity.”

Upon entering Westminster Abbey, the magnitude of the experience became apparent.

For one day, the congregation was celebrating the RNLI’s heritage together whilst thanking those that went before them for their service and sacrifice.

The service began at the same time that the RNLI’s founding papers were signed in 1824.

Ms Lyth said: “I couldn’t help but think about William Hilary and the other 30 plus people who put their names to a fledgling National Service that would save lives at sea.

“I wondered if they ever considered the incredible impact their actions would have on our Maritime nation and beyond.

“They laid the foundations for a charity that today designs and builds its own lifeboats and runs domestic and international water safety programmes with a single goal to save lives at sea; taking their mission far beyond the shores of their home nation. Just like the sea, their legacy has no boundaries and has lasted the test of time.’

The service was conducted by The Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle KCVO MBE, Dean of Westminster, with The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby GCVO, Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of All England and Metropolitan delivering the address.

It concluded with the Duke of Kent, President of the RNLI signing the RNLI’s 200th Pledge Scroll which was also signed by The Dean of Westminster and the Archbishop of Canterbury.