RNLI scroll visits Jersey for 200th anniversary

A scroll celebrating 200 years of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) visited Jersey on Friday, on the first leg of a visit to the Channel Islands.

The visit of the Connecting our Communities scroll is the latest event in the local programme to celebrate 200 years of the lifeboat service.

The scroll was signed by senior members of the teams at St Catherine's Lifeboat Station and St Helier Lifeboat Station.

Barclay Harvey, helm of the inshore lifeboat at the St Helier station, said signing the scroll was an "honour and a privilege."

Mr Harvey said: “I represent all of our volunteers here, all of our lifeboat crew that sacrifice a lot, and to be chosen to do that today was really special.

"The scroll is all about connecting communities and we’re delighted today that the scroll’s here.

"We are part of the RNLI and we’re just delighted to have it here to sign."

The scroll is made of bamboo paper and inscribed with the RNLI's One Crew pledge, with all participating lifeboat stations promising to continue saving lives at sea for the next 200 years and beyond.

It began its journey on the RNLI’s official 200 anniversary on 4 March, at Westminster Abbey where it was signed by the RNLI’s president, HRH The Duke of Kent, as well as the Archbishop of Canterbury and other dignitaries.

The scroll has a wooden spindle at each end made from a 19th Century flag pole from a lifeboat station on the Isle of Man.

And the case the scroll is travelling in has been made using boat-building techniques and materials and includes a speaker that plays the pledge out loud for blind and partially-sighted people.

Mr Harvey said: "It’s an amazing scroll, actually, I was incredibly surprised by how well its built and all the history that goes with it."

Since the RNLI was founded volunteer crews in the Channel Islands have launched more than 5,000 times and saved more than 1,500 lives.

The scroll will visit Guernsey on 27 April and Alderney on 28 April.