200th anniversary of the RNLI recognised in parliamentary motion
Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has lodged a parliamentary motion recognising the work of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution ahead of its 200th anniversary next month. The motion, which has already been signed by members of all major political parties, recognises over 144,000 lives saved by the RNLI since its founding in 1824, and the work of its 238 lifeboat stations and thousands of volunteers.
Mr Carmichael said:
“We have a long and close relationship with the RNLI in the isles. The RNLI stations in Lerwick, Aith, Kirkwall, Stromness and Longhope are proudly at the centre of our communities, backed by generations of local volunteers and supporters.
“Hewitt Clark is of course a local legend for his decades of service at the Lerwick station, having been the UK’s most decorated serving lifeboatman, and the Longhope station’s work covering the Pentland Firth has rightly been well recognised over the years. The list of commendations and decorations for volunteers in the Northern Isles is a long one.
“I was honoured to be a member of the RNLI National Council previously for three years and saw the vital work that goes on at their headquarters as well as in the community. There are not many charities which can boast such a record of success and public service over 200 years.
“Whatever the weather and through decades of service, the RNLI have protected lives at sea without fear or favour. They represent the very best values of our communities – long may that continue.”