RNLI Trail Celebrates Isle of Man Roots

The RNLI has partnered with Visit Isle of Man to create a trail map highlighting the island’s role as the birthplace of the charity.

Today marks the 200th anniversary of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the brainchild of Sir William Hillary who witnessed and rescue sailors from shipwrecks in Manx seas.

Significant sites from all across the island have been marked encouraging visitors to explore the lifesaving charity’s proud heritage.

The leaflet is now available at visitor information centres, the Sea Terminal and Ronaldsway.

You can also access the exact locations through by visiting this webpage.

Other Manx activity includes the recently opened All at Sea exhibition at Manx National Heritage’s House of Manannan in Peel, delving into the Isle of Man’s remarkable maritime heritage and honouring the 200th anniversary of the RNLI.

At the beginning of the year a special RNLI 200 stamp collection was launched by the Isle of Man Post Office in collaboration with the charity. And the award-winning Manx Fynoderee Distillery have a fundraising partnership with the RNLI through a new Coastal Collection of Spirits to mark the 200th.

Allen Corlett, chair of the Isle of Man 200th Anniversary Panel and volunteer lifeboat operations manager at Peel Lifeboat Station said:‘2024 is an exciting time for every person that makes up the RNLI’s one crew, and it feels particularly special for us here in the Isle of Man, the birthplace of the charity.

‘We are thrilled to be collaborating with Visit Isle of Man and our other partners to celebrate the significance of the Isle of Man in the RNLI’s history. We hope to inspire a whole new generation of lifesavers and supporters to continue this lifesaving legacy for the next 200 years.’