RNLI celebrate 200 years of saving lives at sea with service at Glasgow Cathedral

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) celebrated 200 years saving lives at sea with a service at Glasgow Cathedral.

Volunteers from around Scotland formed a guard of honour and joined the public service to mark the charity’s bicentenary on Sunday.

Founded in a London tavern on March 4, 1824, the RNLI has continued saving lives at sea throughout the tests of its history, including tragic disasters, funding challenges and two World Wars.

RNLI lifeboats in Scotland have launched 45,853 times, saving 11,878 lives – meaning over a quarter of all rescues in Scotland have resulted in a life saved.

The RNLI was formed in London on March 4, 1824. STV News

Anjie Rook, RNLI Associate Director, told STV News: “Today is an incredibly special day for the RNLI here in Scotland.

“It’s our chance to really commemorate 200 years of lifesaving in this wonderful setting of Glasgow Cathedral.

“We’ve had 200 years of amazing lifesaving effect here in Scotland.

“We’ve had amazing reaction from our supporters, our donors, and in the communities where we do our lifesaving.

“This is our chance, to not just commemorate and celebrate who we are but, to really inspire for lifesaving in the future for what I hope will be many hundreds of years to come.”

A new verse to the hymn Eternal Father Strong to Save, ‘For those in peril on the sea’, written by RNLI volunteer, Richard MacDonald, was performed at Sunday’s service of thanksgiving.

Richard said: “I was aware that many other services including the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, and the US Coastguard had added their own verse to the hymn, but there was none for the RNLI, so I composed a verse and sent it off to the CEO of the RNLI, Mark Dowie.

“I didn’t really expect to hear back, but I was contacted by his office to say the verse had resonated with him, and in turn he’d submitted it to the Archbishop of Canterbury for his seal of approval, which in due course he received.”