Volunteers from Lough Derg RNLI have attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace in celebration of the charity’s 200th anniversary.
Around 2,500 of the RNLI’s long-serving volunteers, staff and their families attended the RNLI 200th Anniversary Garden Party in the presence of HRH The Princess Royal, accompanied by Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, and RNLI President HRH The Duke of Kent.
Volunteers attending from Lough Derg RNLI were Liam Maloney, former Lifeboat Operations Manager and now Launching Authority, and his wife Deirdre, Dr Peter Hooker, Lifeboat Medical Advisor and Eleanor Hooker, Helm and Lifeboat Press Officer, as recipients of 20 year Long Service Awards.
Liam Maloney said ‘Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat has been a positive presence on the lake for water users for its first 20 years in service, with many people rescued and several lives saved. The RNLI’s safety messages are having a favourable impact as people respect the water’.
(Right) Liam Maloney, former Lifeboat Operations Manager, Launching Authority at Lough Derg RNLI, Deirdre Maloney.
Volunteers from across the charity attending the garden party included lifeboat crew, lifeguards, water safety volunteers, fundraisers and recent recipients of meritorious service awards and The King’s Birthday and New Year Honours.
One of the highlights of the afternoon was a presentation by The Princess Royal of a Silver Medal for Gallantry to Penlee RNLI coxswain Patrick ‘Patch’ Harvey for his pivotal role in saving eight French sailors during a hurricane on 31 October 2022.
In complete darkness, with winds gusting up to 100mph and waves more than 20ft high, Patch and the volunteer crew of Penlee’s all-weather lifeboat Ivan Ellen battled the horrendous conditions that, for more than five hours, were pushing the yacht towards rocks. The lifeboat kept the casualties safe until they could be evacuated safely by a HM Coastguard helicopter.
Patch said: ‘It has been an incredible honour to have been invited to the Garden Party at Buckingham Palace. The day has been really enjoyable, and it’s been a pleasure to attend with my fellow crew and our partners, who are in the background, supporting everything we do for the RNLI. Garden parties are not something we do every day!
To be presented with my silver medal, by HRH The Princess Royal, in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, with my wife Nina, and my crew beside me and in front of other volunteers and staff from the charity was amazing. It felt very special and means a huge amount.’
RNLI Chief Executive Mark Dowie said: ‘Patch’s courage, leadership and determination, and that of his entire crew that night, personified the dedication and commitment RNLI volunteers have displayed throughout our charity’s 200 years of lifesaving.
Speaking of the garden party, RNLI Chief Executive Mark Dowie said: ‘It was an honour to meet so many of our long-serving volunteers, staff and their families and to thank them personally for their unwavering commitment. They are all lifesavers.
‘We thank our Patron, His Majesty The King, for granting permission for the RNLI 200th Anniversary Garden Party to take place at Buckingham Palace in celebration of 200 years of saving lives at sea, and The Duke of Kent who has been hugely supportive of our charity throughout the past 55 years as our President.’
Head of Volunteering at the RNLI Donna McReath said: ‘I would like to thank each and every one of our incredible volunteers.
‘We couldn’t do what we do without their vital support and the time and effort they generously dedicate in a wide variety of roles, from lifesaving crew to fundraisers and those who volunteer in our shops, museums or by sharing our water safety messaging.
‘They are all lifesavers, and this special Garden Party is a wonderful opportunity to recognise and celebrate the joy and impact of volunteering for the RNLI. We are always looking for new volunteers to join our charity to help us continue saving lives at sea.’
Since the RNLI was founded on 4 March 1824, the charity has saved more than 146,277 lives – this equates to an average of two lives saved every day for 200 years.
Today, the RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland, including four on the River Thames, and has seasonal lifeguards on around 240 lifeguarded beaches around the UK.
