Sunderland Lifeboat Station will welcome visitors through its doors for the annual Harbour Day on 9 August. The free event runs from 10am to 3pm at the Marine Activity Centre in North Dock, Roker, offering behind-the-scenes access to the country’s oldest continually operational lifeboat station, according to the RNLI.
Families can tour the station’s two inshore lifeboats—an Atlantic 85 capable of 35 knots and a D Class—and meet the volunteer crew. A photography exhibition featuring historical archive images alongside recent work by Claire Louise Photography blends past and present, while the RNLI Water Safety Team will offer advice alongside representatives from other emergency services. Craft stalls, games and a tombola are also planned. Lee, an RNLI lifeboat crew member, said the day gives the crew a chance to show how the charity operates and share water safety tips. “We hope families will come along, enjoy the activities and learn more about the volunteers who help save lives at sea.”
The station traces its roots to 1800, making it over 225 years old, and was adopted by the RNLI in 1865. It has operated from seven different sites over the centuries and housed the charity’s first experimental motor lifeboat in 1911. The current base at the Marine Activity Centre has been active since at least 2011, with a £242,000 facility upgrade completed in 2008. The crew remains busy with shouts on 4 July, 2 July and several other dates.
Donations collected on the day will fund the RNLI’s 24-hour search and rescue service, which operates year-round. The Sunderland RNLI Fundraising Branch is also inviting local businesses to contribute tombola prizes via [email protected].
The Atlantic 85 lifeboat has been on service since May 2007, while the D Class was funded by a legacy from Mrs Marjorie Florence Gallon and placed on service in November 2011. Previous Harbour Days have featured rescue demonstrations with Search and Rescue Helicopters and live music. A recent exhibition, ‘Between Shouts’ by Claire Louise Photography, showcased portraits of Sunderland volunteers at the University of Sunderland and the National Portrait Gallery in London.
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