Tickets available for thanksgiving service to mark 200th anniversary of the RNLI

Mersey River Flotilla 04/03/2024 for RNLI 200th birthday celebrations. Lytham St Annes Shannon class lifeboat Barbara Anne 13-24,  Hoylake Shannon class lifeboat Edmund Hawthorn Micklewood 13-06, New Brighton Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No 51) B-837 and West Mersea D-class inshore lifeboat  Leonard Pownall D-883.

People are being invited to join RNLI crew – including those from West Kirby and Hoylake – at a special service at Liverpool’s historic sailors’ church to celebrate the lifesaving charity’s bicentenary.

On Saturday 5 October, at 10.30am, Liverpool Parish Church will hold a special service of thanksgiving dedicated to 200 years of saving lives at sea, led by the Rt Reverend John Perumbalath, Bishop of Liverpool.

The thanksgiving service will commemorate past and present crews, and aims to inspire the next generation of lifesavers.

Andy Brown, of West Kirby RNLI Launch Authority, said: “We’re incredibly proud to see crew members from West Kirby, Hoylake, and New Brighton uniting to represent the Wirral stations at this special celebration of the RNLI’s bicentenary.

“This event at the sailors’ church is a powerful reminder of our shared commitment to saving lives at sea and the enduring spirit of our maritime community.”

Free tickets can be booked at: https://rnliliverpoolthanksgivingservice.eventbrite.co.uk/

As the RNLI’s 200th anniversary celebrations continue, there is also the chance to see a Shannon class lifeboat at the Royal Albert Dock on the day of the service. This stop is part of the Coast to Cobbles event, where a lifeboat will launch from Silloth, Cumbria, and journey to Salford Quays, carrying a time capsule and gathering stories to inspire future generations.

Photo credit: Nicholas Leach