Douglas RNLI to be awarded Freedom of the City

The ceremony will take place at the town hall in Douglas on Thursday

The RNLI lifeboat station in the Isle of Man's capital is set to be awarded the Freedom of the City, the highest honour the local authority can bestow.

Douglas Council will confer the accolade on the local branch at a ceremony at the city hall on Thursday, in recognition of its commitment to saving lives at sea.

Mayor Natalie Byron-Teare said the crew members at the RNLI station were the "embodiment of courage, selflessness and dedication".

The organisation, which was founded by Sir William Hillary after he witnessed several shipwrecks off the Manx coast while living in Douglas, recently celebrated its 200th anniversary.

The award is given to those considered to have made an outstanding contribution or service to the City of Douglas and the Isle of Man.

Previous recipients include UK Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, comedian Sir Norman Wisdom, pop group the Bee Gees, and cyclist Sir Mark Cavendish.

'Rich nautical heritage'

Byron-Teare said since being founded in 1824 "our island and particularly Douglas has been the foundation for what has followed and has had an inextricable link to saving lives at sea".

"This award reflects our deep gratitude, commemorating all who have gone before, celebrating the lifesavers of today, and hopefully inspiring the next generation who have pledged to continue lifesaving for years to come," she said.

President of Douglas RNLI Peter Cain said the council had been "very supportive" of the branch and recognised "the work that crews and dedicated fundraisers carry out island-wide to keep our coastlines safe 24 hours a day, 365 days a year", he said.

"The rich nautical heritage of the island cannot be better summed up than the lifesaving and fundraising work the RNLI carries out in Manx seas and the countless hours given by loyal volunteer lifeboat crews in our community", he added.