By Karen Cox
Join Ramsgate RNLI tomorrow (March 10) at 11am as communities from across the RNLI connect to mark 200 years of lifesaving.
On Monday 4th March as part of the Service of Celebration a scroll was presented by crew to the Dean of Westminster, where RNLI President HRH the Duke of Kent as well as Chief Executive Mark Dowie signed it.
This was the starting point for a journey around the UK visiting every Lifeboat station which will continue until October when it will end in Douglas, Isle of Man, the former home of Sir William Hillary.
On this scroll is the RNLI’s One Crew pledge, in which the charity promises its commitment to saving every one they can, without judgment – staying true to Sir William Hillary’s vision when he founded the charity in 1824.
Come and see the scroll up-close and see lifesavers sign the pledge on behalf of their communities.
Printed on bamboo paper, the scroll will travel through RNLI communities far and wide during 2024.
During its journey, the scroll will be kept safe in a bespoke case – made from the same materials used to build and maintain the lifeboats, stations and lifeguard units. The case has been crafted by skilled apprentices at the Inshore Lifeboat Centre on the Isle of Wight.
The spindle attached to the scroll was made by the team at the All-weather Lifeboat Centre in Poole. To commemorate our heritage, Technician Boatbuilder David Martin crafted the spindle ends using a 19th-century flagpole from Ramsey Lifeboat Station, Isle of Man. This flagpole dates back to the early 1890s, when Ramsey’s Norbury Boathouse was built.
The scroll will arrive at Ramsgate Lifeboat Station around 11am on Sunday 10th March before moving onto Margate Lifeboat Station for 2.30pm.
Different members of the volunteer team will sign the scroll, from the Crew to the Watersafety Team, the Lifeguards, the volunteer RNLI shop, the Fundraisers and the Management Team.