A new lifeboat will proudly carry the names of 10,000 loved ones when it launches next year
Supporters of a charity have helped to Launch a Memory.
A new lifeboat will proudly carry the names of 10,000 loved ones when it launches on service in Scotland in spring 2020, thanks to a creative new fundraising campaign at the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
Through the lifesaving charity’s Launch a Memory campaign, supporters have been able to commemorate a loved one by making a donation and submitting that person’s name which will then appear on the decal of a new Shannon class lifeboat, making that vessel the charity’s first sea-going memorial.
The name of each person being remembered will be featured within the lifeboat’s letters and numbers, or decal, displayed on the vessel’s hull in lettering 3-4mm in height. The Shannon class lifeboat will be based at the RNLI’s Invergordon Lifeboat Station in Scotland and is due to go on service in the spring.
The campaign was launched in June and has proved incredibly popular with RNLI supporters. So far, over 9,000 names have been submitted, with the full capacity of 10,000 names expected to be reached in the coming weeks.
Clare McCulloch, senior marketing manager at the RNLI, said: “Our Launch a Memory campaign has proved to be incredibly popular, with so many people wanting to remember a loved one in this unique and special way.
“Around 9,500 names have already been submitted, which will all be proudly displayed on the hull of a new Shannon class lifeboat from spring next year. Everyone who supports the campaign will receive email updates about the lifeboat, keeping them informed of all major developments on its journey to going on service and saving lives at sea.
“We asked for a suggested donation of £30, but we’ve seen the average donation submitted being over £37 and we have already exceeded our target of raising £330,000 through this campaign. The generosity and warmth that we’ve seen for this activity has been incredible.
“At the RNLI, we are truly donor-focused and we are always looking at ways we can engage with our supporters and put them at the heart of what we do. The Launch a Memory campaign has achieved this and I’m so pleased to see how strongly it has resonated with our amazing supporters.
“The RNLI is busier than ever but we have a shortfall in funds, so we’re absolutely committed to raising the income required to run our vital lifesaving service. The Launch a Memory campaign is a great example of just one of the ways we’re striving to do this.”
