Marine / Lifeboat volunteers sign scroll to mark 200 years of RNLI
A SYMBOLIC scroll celebrating 200 years of the RNLI has been signed by Lerwick and Aith lifeboat volunteers on its way across the UK.
Current coxswain Stephen Manson, former coxswain Hewitt Clark, RNLI Lerwick chairman John Webster and Lerwick lifeboat fundraising crew’s Rhoda Watt penned the scroll on behalf of the Lerwick station on Tuesday afternoon.
They became the 905th, 906th, 907th and 908th people to sign the scroll in the UK, after it visited the Aith lifeboat station on Tuesday morning.
The scroll is housed in a commemorative orange case made up of things you would find on a lifeboat, and even plays the RNLI’s famous One Crew pledge from a speaker.
Charlotte Hill, who is one of the RNLI team accompanying the scroll on its journey, said the organisation had been keen to mark its bicentenary with “an Olympic style relay event” across the entire country.
She said it was “an absolute pleasure” to bring the scroll to Shetland – its final stop in Scotland, and one of the last in the UK.
Hill told those in attendance at Monday’s signing that it had been etched on by everyone from the Isle of Wight to Shetland, with the Isle of Man to be its final stop later this month.
The scroll’s journey began at Westminster Abbey on 4 March, where it was signed by the RNLI president, the Duke of Kent, as well as the Archbishop of Canterbury.
“It’s been to 29 different RNLI communities across the UK,” Hill said.
Once the scroll has been signed for the final time in the Isle of Man on 26 October, it will go on display – most likely in Poole at the RNLI old lifeboat museum, Hill added.
It will also be digitised and available online for anyone to read.
Retired coxswain Clark was also nominated for a This Morning Pride of Britain award this week for his service with the RNLI, with the winner to be announced on Friday.
Become a member of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider paying for membership to get additional features and services: -
- Remove non-local ads;
- Bookmark posts to read later;
- Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
- Hide membership messages;
- Comments open for discussion.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.
Already a member? Sign in to hide this message.
