RNLI 200 Voices

Captain of the student rescue service at Atlantic College from 1971 to 1972, Dagfinn Paust recalls the teenagers who saved lives on a treacherous stretch of coast  The old RNLI lifeboat station at the innovative Atlantic College in South Wales was run by a student crew for 50 years. Dagfinn Paust, a student at the college from 1970 to 1972, shares his memories of college life, about which he’s co-...

Putting lifeboat crew through their paces in thunder, lightning, and rain – it’s all in a day’s work for RNLI Sea Survival Centre trainer Matias Wapinski From training as a rescue swimmer in Argentina, to being a dive instructor in Iceland and a lifeguard in the UK, Matias Wapinski’s credentials are impressive. They’re skills he puts into practice to train volunteer RNLI crew from all over the UK...

How do you find a lone rower who’s in a small boat? In the Outer Hebrides? At night? During John Maclennan’s 25 years as an RNLI crew member, Stornoway volunteers saved 122 lives. He has battled hurricanes, and knows how it feels to be on a boat when it falls the height of a house. But one rescue in particular has stayed with him. An 80-year-old man was missing after he had gone out alone in a sma...

There's a reindeer in the kitchen – what are we going to do?! Settle down for The Big Christmas Rescue, read by Chris Jarvis It's Christmas Eve, and Santa's in trouble. Before a reindeer and the RNLI can save the day, they're going to need the help of a very special child. Make your child’s bedtime extra magical by ordering a personalised copy of this beautifully illustrated story book and transfo...

In 1838, Grace Darling became the first woman to be awarded an RNLI medal. Descendant Ken Skehan shares her story Ken Skehan is immensely proud of his internationally famous ancestor, Grace Darling. He shares stories of her life, from her hard existence living in a lighthouse, to her rescue of survivors from the shipwrecked Forfarshire in 1838. Grace’s part in the rescue thrust her into the spotli...

Broadcaster and journalist Ben Shephard talks about what inspired him to write the book Humble Heroes: Inspirational stories of hope, heart and humanity Fascinated by ordinary people who quietly take it upon themselves to make the world a better place, Ben Shephard has written a book to record their stories. Among the humble heroes celebrated by Ben are RNLI crew from Port Isaac, where Ben spent m...

Meet the man who has served the RNLI for 50 years – a quarter of its existence Richard Adams joined the RNLI on the 29 May 1973. He left school on a Thursday, started at the RNLI the following Tuesday, and has been at the charity ever since! He talks about the changes he’s seen, and about the things that have remained the same – such as the stapler he has kept on his desk since 1974. 200 Voices is...

The most successful sailor in Olympic history on the importance of never giving up    He might have won multiple Olympic medals, but British sailor Sir Ben Ainslie still gets caught out by the sea. Hear him talk about being rescued by the RNLI, and the necessity of having grit and determination to get through challenging conditions – traits he shares with lifeboat crew.   An RNLI ambassador, Sir B...

Meet the Devon fundraiser who’s been sailing for nearly 100 years Elaine Gray began sailing when she was just 3 years old. Her love of the water remains a constant, and even at 100, Elaine still paddles in her kayak around Salcombe Harbour. Generations have followed in her footsteps – her daughter is a keen sailor, and her grandson is part of the crew at Salcombe Lifeboat Station.  In 2022, Elaine...

Paul Weston, lifesaver and singer with RNLI Portishead’s sea shanty band, on singing for HM King Charles III  When Paul Weston joined the Portishead crew 15 years ago, he thought it would be a great way to get out on the water and meet some new people. But he never imagined that it would lead to representing the RNLI at the Coronation Concert.  During lockdown, six sea-going Portishead volunteers...

Losing a family member to drowning is shocking enough. But it’s even more shocking when the person is fit, prepared and confident around the water. Two sisters explain what happened to their younger brother  Haydn was no novice around the water. The 23-year-old was a sailor, a scuba diver and a paddleboarder, and knew about the tides. Which made things all the more unbelievable for sisters Megan a...

Around 140 people drown in UK and Irish waters each year. Guy Addington MBE explains the RNLI’s efforts to reduce that number  Sadly, drowning isn’t something that only happens at sea – rivers and inland waterways claim lives too. Which is why the RNLI has five inland lifeboat stations and another four on the Thames. Regional Water Safety Lead – and RNLI Margate Helm – Guy Addington highlights the...

The photographer who’s also a crew member – Nigel Millard on knowing when to put down his camera and pick up a rope There’s a reason why Nigel Millard’s photos of lifeboat rescues capture just what it’s like to be a crew member – Nigel is one of them. The award-winning photographer has been capturing the selfless work of RNLI volunteers for over 25 years, but wearing two ‘helmets’ takes careful ju...

The lady with RNLI blood in her veins – Rye fundraiser Betty Broocks on why she devoted 55 years to the charity   15 November marks the anniversary of the 1928 Rye Harbour lifeboat tragedy, in which the 17-strong crew of the Mary Stanford lifeboat drowned. A memorial service in honour of the crew takes place every year – the church packed with people, with more spilling outside.   200 Voices hears...

How do you design a memorial that symbolises 200 years of sacrifice? Sculptor Sam Holland shares the inspiration for her beacon of hope There are numerous local memorials that pay tribute to those who have lost their lives at sea in the cause of saving others. But until 2009, there was no single memorial. The brief for the RNLI Memorial sculpture in Poole stated that it should celebrate those both...

40 years on from the helicopter crash in which he lost his family, Howard Goddard remembers the man who helped save six lives, including his own In 1983, 11-year-old Howard Goddard lost his entire family when, in thick fog, the helicopter they were flying in crashed into the sea off the Scilly Isles. Howard reveals how he and five others survived the crash, how the St. Mary’s RNLI lifeboat crew fo...

Connor Freeman remembers Tyler Westlake When the sea started to get choppy while Tyler Westlake and his two friends were fishing, they decided to move to a better spot. But before they had the chance to, out of nowhere, a huge wave crashed on top of them. Tyler’s friends managed to stay on the rocks. But when they looked around, Tyler was gone. RNLI crews did everything they could to find Tyler. B...

In 1942, a quirk of fate helped Dennis Lendrem survive a torpedo attack that his two friends did not. 81 years on, his son reveals how he reunited Dennis, Jack and Jock When, during the Second World War, the call of nature led Able Seaman Dennis Lendrem to the upper deck of HMS Medway, it turned out to be a moment of chance that would save his life. After two torpedoes hit, the order was given to...

Acclaimed musician Phil Coulter on the writing of an RNLI anthem When his brother tragically drowned while windsurfing in Lough Swilly, Ireland, in 1984, musician Phil Coulter was determined to make a change. He was instrumental in the setting up of Lough Swilly Lifeboat Station. And through raising funds and spreading awareness of the devastating drowning tragedies that had happened at the lough...

Kevin Kirkpatrick’s family have been volunteering at Longhope RNLI for 150 years. How does he feel about his daughter carrying on the tradition? 2024 won’t just be a big year for the RNLI – it’ll be a big year for Longhope Lifeboat Station too, as it reaches its 150th ‘birthday’. In all that time, a member of the Kirkpatrick family has been among the crew. For former Longhope Coxswain Kevin Kirkpa...

Not all museums are musty and dusty. Since its renovation, Whitby Lifeboat Museum has been drawing a crowd. Its curator tells us why In the first year after its renovation, Whitby Lifeboat Museum saw over 20,000 visitors. New audiences have been drawn by visual and interactive storytelling as well as painstakingly restored artefacts. Museum Curator Neil Williamson reveals his three favourite exhib...

When winds pushed paddleboarder Sheena Thompson further and further out to sea, she shouted to her husband, who was on shore. Worryingly, he couldn’t hear her cries for help While at the beach near Wick in Scotland, Sheena Thompson took her new paddleboard into the water, with the intention of staying in for just a few minutes. But the wind was much stronger than she anticipated, and she quickly s...

In 200 years, the RNLI has seen many changes. We hear from the man who played a key role in transforming it into the organisation we know today From launching the concept of prevention to pushing for cutting-edge technology, Michael Vlasto OBE made his mark on the RNLI during his 38-year career, which included 16 years as Operations Director. In this episode, Michael reflects on how the organisati...

Tynemouth artist and Coxswain Mark Taylor on his twin inspirations – his late father and the north-east coastline For artist and Coxswain Mark Taylor, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. He takes great inspiration from his late father, who was a successful artist and helped save lives at sea on Blyth lifeboat.  Not only did Mark grow up watching his father race down to the lifeboat station,...

Since RNLI lifeguards started patrolling in 2001, they’ve saved over 1,900 lives. Peter Dawes explains how he helped them do it RNLI lifeguards patrol over 240 beaches around Britain, Ireland and the islands that surround us. But this wasn’t always the case. The charity’s General Manager for Lifeguard Operations, Peter Dawes, reveals how the service came about, and explains how the RNLI has evolve...