Scarborough Lifesaver (Outside the old Lifeboat Station) HFF Everyone

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The RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institute) Mersey class lifeboat Fanny Victoria Wilkinson and Frank Stubbs served at Scarborough from 27th September 1991 until 18th December 2016. She was paid for by a bequest from Frank Stubbs.

This lifeboat was replaced by a new Shannon class boat, the Fredrick William Plaxton (Funded by the FW Plaxton Charitable Trust) and now serves in the relief fleet.

The Scarborough Lifeboat Station is one of the oldest stations in the British Isles and was founded in 1801. A lifeboat was built in 1801 at Scarborough from the plans and moulds of Henry Greathead (1757–1818), a pioneering rescue lifeboat builder from South Shields.This lifeboat was supported by voluntary subscriptions and donations. The first service of this boat was on 2 November 1801 when she rescued the crew of seven from the Aurora of Newcastle.

History of the RNLI

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the UK, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man as well as on some inland waterways. There are numerous other lifeboat services operating in the same area.

Founded in 1824 as the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, the RNLI was granted a Royal Charter in 1860 and is a charity in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Queen Elizabeth II is Patron. The RNLI is principally funded by legacies and donations with most lifeboat crew members being unpaid volunteers.

The RNLI has 237 lifeboat stations and operates 444 lifeboats. Crews rescued on average 22 people a day in 2015. RNLI Lifeguards operate on more than 200 beaches. They are paid by local authorities, while the RNLI provides equipment and training. The Institution operates Flood Rescue Teams (FRT) nationally and internationally (iFRT), the latter prepared to travel to emergencies overseas at short notice.

Considerable effort is put into training and education by the Institution, particularly for young people; more than 6,000 children a week are spoken to by education volunteers about sea and beach safety, and over 800 children a week receive training. The Institution has saved some 140,000 lives since its foundation, at a cost of more than 600 lives lost in service.