RNLI 200 Voices

Five years before the Titanic, the biggest rescue in RNLI history resulted in 456 lives saved. A descendant of one survivor plunges us into towering seas Galen Bartholomew sometimes worries his family will get bored of his research into their ancestors. But when he began to investigate a long-forgotten family story of shipwreck, he made a fascinating discovery. Galen’s great-aunt and great-grandmo...

Why are black children three times more likely to drown than white children? Discover how a personal realisation about protecting family sparked a movement to save countless lives. A drowning tragedy on Christmas Eve 2019 made Danielle Obe realise she had to educate her own family about the risks. Black and Asian communities have largely been excluded from swimming sports – and even the basic surv...

Artist Maria Barbashina on the different strokes it takes to run a lifeboat station. Despite diverse backgrounds, it’s all about the mission When Maria Barbashina settled in Lyme Regis, painting portraits of the town’s RNLI volunteers was her first introduction to the lifeboat community. Maria talks about her creative approach, and the stories that reveal themselves when subjects sit for a portrai...

The true story of the Second World War veteran who went absent without leave to mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day Bernard Jordan survived not only Dunkirk, but D-Day too. So when, aged 89, and living in a care home in Hove, he was told that he couldn’t attend the event marking the 70-year anniversary of D-Day in France, Bernard had other ideas. The Great Escaper, a new film starring Michael Caine...

The three ‘T’s: The Anstruther RNLI volunteer on why saving lives is about teamwork, training and trust In the early hours of 1 August 2012, RNLI crew member Barry Gourlay’s pager went off, alerting him to two men whose boat was being battered against rocks in rough seas. In this dramatic rescue, for which Barry was awarded a Bronze Medal for Gallantry, teamwork was vital. Hear how the crew worked...

When the sea swells, Mary McAleese’s admiration for lifeboat volunteers swells with it. Ireland’s former president talks duvet days and bucket lists If Mary McAleese could have her life over again, being part of the RNLI would be on her wish list. Discover why her visits to RNLI lifeboat stations are entrenched in her mind. And hear about Mary’s respect for the courageous crews who go up against t...

For most of the RNLI’s existence, a member of the Cocking family has been in it – sometimes paying the ultimate sacrifice The RNLI has been at the heart of the Cocking family for over 150 years. In 1939, tragedy stuck the family when former St Ives Coxswain Thomas Cocking’s great-grandfather perished at sea, along with the great-grandfather’s son and son-in-law. Despite this, the family’s commitme...

The Aran Islands doctor on the challenges of saving lives in a remote place Retired GP Dr Marion Broderick has been the RNLI’s Lifeboat Medical Officer on Inis Mór for 40 years. Marion opens up about the dangers of transferring patients from the islands to the mainland in atrocious conditions, and highlights the lifeboat crew’s pivotal role in helping to guarantee patients’ safety come what may, n...

Team GB’s first black female Olympian swimmer on the sport that can save your life 95% of black adults and 80% of black children in England don’t swim. The co-founder of The Black Swimming Association, Alice Dearing, is on a mission to change that. Hear why seeing people take their first few steps into water, often fighting deep-seated fears, sometimes moves her to tears.  200 Voices is produced b...

Meet the man who has been fundraising for the RNLI for 62 years. At 80, why does he still do it? When a London Lifeboat Week fundraiser knocked on the door of the Crowden family home, David Crowden’s mother volunteered her 17-year-old son’s services before David could say a word. Hear why it was the beginning of a lifelong commitment to fundraising for the RNLI – and why he’ll never stop. 200 Voic...

Chiswick volunteer and Antarctic explorer Ella Du Breuil on becoming the youngest female helm at just 18 Since she was knee-high to a bee, Ella Du Breuil was always interested in boats. From a young age, Ella was set on joining the RNLI, and by 18 had become the charity’s youngest female helm. Her sense of adventure didn’t stop there however, and Ella went on to become the Boating Officer for the...

Whether he’s co-ordinating Hollywood chase sequences or launching a lifeboat, Duncan Barbour is no stranger to action  Behind every dependable lifeboat crew there’s a dependable shore crew. A launch couldn’t happen without total teamwork, says North Berwick RNLI shore crew member, Duncan Barbour.   Hear how Duncan’s precision-driving work on films such as Braveheart, Goldeneye and Gladiator has pu...

The lifeguard saved by lifeguarding – a Bangladesh lifesaver reveals the impact of the RNLI’s work in Cox’s Bazar With more than 120km of unbroken sands, Cox’s Bazar is home to the world’s longest beach. Water is everywhere in Bangladesh, and every day, 40 children drown there. RNLI-trained lifeguard Salim Mohammad talks about what inspired him to help save lives in a country where children are fr...

Peterhead’s Sarah Patterson on being crowned Miss European and the reactions she gets when people discover she’s a lifeboat crew member  Sarah Patterson isn’t your average beauty queen. The youngest member of Peterhead’s lifeboat crew won the title of Miss European Global in 2022. Hear how the competition involved Sarah stepping out of her comfort zone and how she hopes her story will inspire othe...

RNLI crew member Olivia Davison on mucking in, coming out and enjoying being part of one crew  When Olivia Davison moved to Brighton to train as a paramedic, her life changed in more ways than one. Olivia shares her personal journey of being in Brighton, where not only did she join the RNLI lifeboat crew but felt she could accept and embrace her sexuality.   Now a lifeboat crew member in Kessock,...

After her son drowned, Andrea Corrie worked with the RNLI to help bereaved families. Her two books offer comfort to anyone living with loss   In July 2005, 19-year-old James Clark drowned after spending an evening in Kingston with friends. His mother Andrea shares her deeply moving story of how losing James prompted her tireless work to campaign for water safety and drowning prevention.   Finding...

Each boat in the RNLI’s Historic Lifeboat Collection has a tale to tell. We meet the man who ensures their stories aren’t lost to time or tide  The Historic Dockyard in Chatham, Kent holds the UK’s largest collection of historic lifeboats, which in decades past have saved hundreds of lives. With a lifelong interest in the RNLI, Paul Severns shares his passion for helping to protect and preserve th...

Gavin & Stacey’s Ruth Jones gives a shout-out to RNLI stations at Barry, Porthcawl and Lochinver   Welsh actress and writer Ruth Jones grew up with the sea on her doorstep. Raised in Porthcawl, where her family still live, Ruth shares her personal connection with the RNLI and its place at the heart of the coastal communities she knows and loves.   It’s a connection she feels deeply – members o...

There’s more than one way to save a life – RNLI Shop manager Lise Vittrup on why she’s giving back  Lise Vittrup grew up with a healthy respect for the sea. Yet in 1995, when she was a student in Brighton, she was taken off guard by powerful waves. Swept out to sea and unable to swim to shore, she clung to the struts of Brighton pier, smashed by unrelenting waves.  Hear how Lise’s rescue unfolded...

When Jeff Everett’s diving buddy signalled that something was wrong, their dive on a WW1 shipwreck quickly became an emergency   They were 29m underwater, diving the wreck of the St Dunstan, when Jeff Everett’s diving buddy Robin suddenly indicated that he had a problem and needed to ascend. To avoid the ‘bends’, which can be fatal, this must be done slowly.   Connected by a ‘buddy line’ to preven...

When Janet Madron attended the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, she wore something special – the medal awarded to her husband Stephen, who was lost in the 1981 Penlee tragedy Stephen Madron would do anything for anyone. He even came to Janet’s rescue on the bus to the fair. Years later, she listened as the Coastguard called into the silence for the lost Solomon Browne and her crew. Hear...

Hear how courage, selflessness and sheer determination helped Sennen Cove lifesavers rescue the crew of the Tungufoss Having been born and bred in Sennen Cove, Maurice had always had a close affinity with the lifeboat community. After completing his National Service, he became a member of the Sennen Cove RNLI lifeboat crew himself. In this archive recording, Maurice - who sadly passed away in 2022...

‘I never dreamed someone like me would be on the crew’ – Tower volunteer Omar Javed on what being an RNLI crew member means to him Aged just 16, Omar was out on the water with the Sea Scouts when their boat suddenly capsized. Despite the shock, Omar didn’t hesitate to help save the lives of two of his peers. Afterwards, Skegness RNLI Coxswain Paul Martin visited Omar in hospital. He told him that...

As the charity’s first female coxswain, Di Bush made RNLI history. She’s also made a vow to encourage more women to follow in her footsteps Having spent much of her time at sea, Di Bush knows that every day on the water is different. It’s an environment that changes all the time. But change isn’t something that fazes Di, having herself made an incredible change in the RNLI’s history by becoming ou...

After Portrush lifeguard Annie Jagoe helped rescue a man with spinal injuries, he was told he would never walk again. But 1 year on, the story took a twist  When Portrush lifeguard Annie Jagoe heard the words: ‘Unconscious body in the water’ over her VHF radio, she scanned Benone Beach. Hearing that the casualty couldn’t move, Annie grabbed her spinal board. Matthew, the surfer that Annie and her...