All Hands on Deck at sailing clubs to fundraise for the RNLI in 200th anniversary year

GJW Direct 48th Bloody Mary © Mark Jardine

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is marking 200 years of saving lives at sea in 2024, and the charity is inviting sailing clubs to celebrate with them.

All Hands on Deck, supported by the RNLI's corporate partner GJW Direct, is a drive to get sailing clubs across the UK and Ireland to create a fundraising event to ensure the lifesaving organisation can be there for generations of sailors to come.

Sailing clubs are invited to organise a race, connect with other clubs for joint events or to plan a land-based charity day to show support for the RNLI's volunteer lifeboat crews. This can be an existing event in your club's calendar which becomes an All Hands on Deck event.

Jeremy Entwistle from GJW Direct said: "All Hands on Deck is an opportunity to get your sailing club involved in the 200th anniversary commemorations of the RNLI.

"You can make an event already in your calendar - be it a race, a cruise or a family fun day or barbecue - an All Hands on Deck event, or create something specifically around the initiative. It can be anything you like for your club to help mark the charity's bicentenary and raise funds to help the RNLI save lives at sea."

RNLI Head of Region for the South East Ryan Hall added: 'As a charity, the RNLI is supported by generous donations from the public and our partners. In our 200th anniversary year, people can get involved with out All Hands on Deck initiative, where we are encouraging sailing clubs to organise a fundraising event to support the RNLI and help protect the future of lifesaving."

Club representatives can visit RNLI.org/200Sail to sign up, and the RNLI will be in touch with further details on setting things up.