I've always been impressed by the RNLI - the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Volunteers train and stay on stand-by to rescue ships and swimmers in distress. The RNLI presence is felt in many of the British seaside towns and ports we visit - from Anstruther in Fife, through North Berwick in East Lothian, Whitby in Yorkshire, Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk and Southwold in Suffolk, where I am writing this. Sometimes this presence is an imposing lifeboat station for the RNLI lifeboat or a memorial to those who have lost their lives saving others. Sometimes its a shop on the high street selling christmas cards and tea towels and offering advice on staying safe in the water.
In recent years, a lovely little project has sprung up in the RNLI shops - selling bags and purses made from upcycled RNLI jackets. I am a sucker for a bit of upcycling. My RNLI washbag is a joy to hold. It even has a little yellow whistle attached by a string and tucked inside a bespoke pocket. In Southwold, I bought a coin purse. I love it.
The statistics for the work of the RNLI are outstanding. Across the lifeboats and lifeboat stations, beach safety and flood responses, the women and men of the RNLI are "out on a shout" about 24 times a day. This live map shows callouts over the past 24 hours.
On Southwold beach, we benefited with other holidaymakers from the vigilance of the red and yellow lifesavers. In 2018, RNLI lifeguards assisted 32,207 people and saved 118 lives.
Volunteers saving lives in extreme circumstances. That's how things are. Amazing.
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