GROUPS of young farmers from across Wales have created a series of dioramas which represent what the 200th anniversary of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) means to them.
The six-foot-tall creations were created as part of the Wales Federation of Young Farmers Clubs (YFC) annual display competition, the finals of which were judged this week at the Royal Welsh Show in Builith Wells.
They feature lifeboats, lifeboat stations, crew members and casualties, as well as facts and information about the charity and it’s 200 years of saving lives at sea.
Mark Morgan, Aberystwyth RNLI Branch Chairman, who judged the finals, said: ‘The amount of work these youngsters put into these displays is outstanding.’
YFC groups from across Wales competed in regional heats to make it to the final at the show, in which the Ceredigion (Cardigan) branch took first place. Brycheiniog (Brecknock) branch came second and in third place was Sir Gâr branch (Carmarthenshire).
Founded on 4 March 1824 following an appeal from Sir William Hillary, who lived on the Isle of Man and witnessed many shipwrecks, the RNLI has been saving lives at sea for 200 years. Since the charity was founded, the charity’s lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
Two centuries have seen vast developments in the lifeboats and kit used by the charity’s lifesavers, and the charity’s lifesaving reach and remit has also developed over the course of 200 years. Today, it operates 238 lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland, including four on the River Thames, and has seasonal lifeguards on over 240 lifeguarded beaches around the UK. It designs and builds its own lifeboats and runs domestic and international water safety programmes.
While much has changed in 200 years, two things have remained the same – the charity’s dependence on volunteers, who give their time and commitment to save others, and the voluntary contributions from the public which have funded the service for the past two centuries.
Throughout its 200th anniversary year, the charity is running events and activities to remember its important history and celebrate the modern lifesaving service it is today, while hoping to inspire generations of future lifesavers and supporters.
For further information about the RNLI’s 200th anniversary, visit RNLI.org/200.
