A married couple in a Porsche 911 have raised more than £130,000 to fund a new lifeboat after visiting every RNLI station around the coast of Ireland and Great Britain.
Belinda and James Richardson from London visited all 238 lifeboat stations in a bid to raise enough money to buy a new D class inshore lifeboat, the workhorse of the RNLI.
The couple, who have taken on three fundraising challenges for the lifesaving charity, raised a staggering £130,000 — or €156,000 — which is enough to buy the lifeboat, contribute towards its maintenance and train and kit out three crew members.
Belinda said: “It was fantastic, quite gruelling at times, there’s always things that can go wrong, but that’s what makes it a challenge.
“We didn’t always know what we were going to get, just like the RNLI crews, they don’t always know what’s going to happen.
“Everyone we met at the RNLI went beyond the call of duty, they were all genuinely kind and caring.
“All the volunteers at every lifeboat station have been fantastic. On the days when we struggled to get up at 5am, we’d meet the crews and immediately they’d lift our spirits.”
The couple started their challenge at Morecambe Lifeboat Station in Lancashire on 23 August, finishing 911 hours later at Peel Lifeboat Station on the Isle of Man.
The D class inshore lifeboat they have successfully fundraised for will be called RNLI 911 Challenge and will be part of the RNLI’s relief fleet, meaning it could be used to save lives at sea anywhere around Ireland and Great Britain.
In 2023 alone, D class lifeboats saved 96 lives and helped 2,028 people in difficulty.
“It is our sponsors that have raised that money, it went beyond what we anticipated,” Belinda said.
“They were donating because they wanted us to get that boat and we’re glad we could deliver on that promise. Thank you so much to everyone who helped us along the way.”
Jayne George, RNLI director of fundraising said: “We are incredibly grateful to Belinda and James for raising such a huge amount of money to help save lives at sea.
“Our crews and fundraisers loved welcoming them to our lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland on all their challenges and the money raised will not only fund a new D class inshore lifeboat — to be named in their honour — but also contribute towards its maintenance and pay for the training and kit for three volunteer crew members.
“The kindness of supporters like Belinda and James means so much to us. Without them we could not save lives at sea; every one is a lifesaver.”
