Speaker Graham Morris Education Officer for the R.N.L.I. explained his work is entirely voluntary. He visits schools and venues to raise awareness of the dangers of the sea and inland waterways. Volunteers comprise 95% of the workforce of the R.N.L.I.

An elderly lady, with new hearing aids, was sitting in her garden overlooking Looe Bay. She could hear a distant voice calling for help. On summoning the lifeboat the crew found a man clinging to an upturned dinghy, another trying to swim to shore.

The lifeboat organisation was founded in 1824, although a lifeboat was built in Penzance in 1806 by private subscription. This has set the precedent for the Lifeboats to be supported by voluntary public donations. The people who set up the official R.N.L.I. included, George IV and 5 Royal Dukes, Robert Peel and William Wilberforce. Donations in the first year amounted to £10,000. It was also decided medals would be awarded for outstanding gallantry, although to ordinary mortals it seems every crew member is incredibly brave to go out in dangerous weather.

The first Gallantry Medal awarded was in the foundation year, 1824. John Miller a member of a lifeboat crew who went to the rescue of the crew of the Harmony which was wrecked in Whitsand Bay. 6 crew members were lost, but John Miller climbed down the cliff and rescued the remaining 7. Another remarkable story of rescue occurred when the Bellisima from London was driven onto Looe Island in a storm. The rocket propelled ropes could not reach the ship, so William Jennings volunteered to swim through the rough seas with a rope. The entire crew were saved and the brave swimmer was awarded a Gallantry Medal.

In 1866 the residents of Looe asked for a self- righting lifeboat. A donated cheque for £420 bought the boat which was sent to Looe by rail, taking six days to arrive. Looe is now onto its 9th lifeboat.

In 2015 the first ‘shout’ (call out) was on New Year’s Day and the last on Christmas Day, Lifeboat men are on call 24 /7. An average of 23 people a day are rescued from beaches and the open sea. There are 3 flood rescue teams based in Saltash. If a shout comes, the boat is ready in under 10 minutes, usually 4 to 6 minutes. Tower Bridge in London has its own Lifeboat station, with some 3 launches a day – their launches take 90 seconds.

In all the years the R.N.L.I. has been in existence the largest rescue remains that of the Suevic in 1907. The ship sailed from Australia bound for Liverpool, carried 382 passengers, 141 crew and a cargo worth £400,000. In foggy conditions, rough seas, and a gale force wind, the Captain sailed close to the coast, mistaking the light from a cottage for the Lizard lighthouse. The Suevic ran aground on the Menear reef, it was later discovered two stowaways were on board. She was wrecked at 10.30pm. 3 lifeboats were launched . There were 60 children under 3 on board. Vicar Harry Vivien also went with the Lifeboat crew, it was 4 miles to the wreck. The Minnie Moon boat rescued 270 people, still a record. Despite having to carry the young children down a rope ladder to the crew of a lifeboat on the crest of a wave all were saved. All crew, passengers, 2 stowaways and all the cargo were saved. Not many shipwrecks today, but more rescues of leisure sailors and fishermen. The R.N.L.I. also provides lifeguards for 200 beaches.

There are 14 lifeboat stations. In 2016 there were 8,000 launches, 7,973 rescued, 3,241 launches were made in darkness. The R.N.L.I. needs an income of £168,000,000 a year. There are 20,000 volunteer community fundraisers, 346 lifeboats, and 19,000 miles of coastline, and remember they need willing volunteers and financial help to do their work. https://rnli.org/