Frequently, when visiting Lifeboat Stations on our challenge, we are asked why we are doing it, do we have family ties to the RNLI and how it started.
Why? That’s easy, because we want to raise vital funds for the RNLI to continue their lifesaving work around our coasts and waterways. We support the work they do and of course their bravery as volunteers going to sea in all weathers to save lives.
We don’t have direct family ties to the RNLI but have a great deal of interest in the charity going back many years. Helen’s grandfather, Jack, served in the Merchant Navy and, whilst we don’t have evidence to suggest he needed the services of the lifeboats, he always donated and supported them. This has been passed down to Helen’s family who continue to support.
Allan has had an interest in Lifeboats from a very young age. At his first school, Reigate Priory, they had a museum which was open to the public. The school kids were heavily involved in the various exhibitions that were on display. Allan clearly remembers a fabulous exhibition about Lifeboats and contributed a lot to its success. They even had an inflatable lifeboat on loan and had the chance to take it to the lake in the Priory Park. Allan also made a wooden lifeboat when he was around 9 – 10 years old with his Grandad. He still has the boat shown here. So, the interest has been strong for many years in our families.
How it started? We have watched all of the Saving Lives at Sea documentaries and have been inspired and humbled by the work of these brave volunteers. Our curiosity was peaked by this series and would often sit researching the featured Stations after watching each episode.
One morning Allan said, “when I retire, it would be nice to go and visit all the lifeboat stations around the country”. Helen replied “why wait until you retire {when you will be too old} why don’t we do it now”
And so the challenge began. Our aim was always to raise money for the RNLI and so Allan built our website, created social media accounts and also produced some branded items such a car stickers, polo shirts and postcards promoting the challenge. We are both working and so the further afield visits are reliant on us taking annual leave from work. We also have the added complication that Helen will not get in an airplane! We have therefore set ourselves a target of 2 years but we hope to complete all 238 visits earlier than that.
On the 1st June, off we went. Our first station was quite random but it was close to where Allan was working that day and so we visited Teddington in South West London.
You can read all about our progress so far in the other blogs and on the website. We also have links to a map of all the RNLI Lifeboat Stations, a list of those visited with photos of the boats and our visit evidence and a progress map and fundraising lifebuoy.
Please follow us on our journey and if you can donate we would be most grateful for whatever you can manage. Our initial target is £10 per station or £2380, but we would really like to double that. Please click below to donate directly to the RNLI
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