Funeral held for stalwart lifeboat fundraiser

Ada Myers received a gold medal for her long commitment to the charity

The funeral has been held of a 92-year-old woman who dedicated her life to volunteering and supporting the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in Whitby.

Ada Myers began donating to the charity at the age of seven during World War Two, selling her unwanted toys and dropping the money into her local collection box.

Mrs Myers later officially registered as a volunteer when she joined what was then known as the Ladies Lifeboat Guild, which went on to become the Friends of Whitby Lifeboat.

Her son, Chris, described Mrs Myers as "iconic", and said the RNLI was her "second family".

Mr Myers said his mum started fundraising for the charity at such a young age because she was worried about her father who was serving in the Royal Navy during the war.

"When the war started, my granddad, Leo, was with the minesweepers for the navy," he explained.

"She was so worried he was going to get torpedoed and drowned that she sold all her money and gave it to the RNLI, purely on the premise they would save him.

"She just carried on from the age of seven up to 92, and she was still collecting whenever she could."

Mrs Myers' funeral in Whitby was attended by crew and volunteers from the RNLI

Mrs Myers, who was also a Whitby town councillor for many years and a former mayor, was a familiar face around the town and known for her community roles.

Mr Myers said: "What she hasn't done, you couldn't write down. Everyone knows my mum.

"She was just fabulous. The best mum ever."

Richard Dowson, coxswain mechanic at Whitby lifeboat station, said Mrs Myers was very important to the RNLI in Whitby.

"People like Ada don't come along very often," he said.

"Every fundraising event, every occasion we had, Ada would be present - whether it was making tea and coffee or selling raffle tickets."

He added: "The RNLI runs with volunteers, people like Ada who sit there on cold winter days rattling a bucket."

Mrs Myers' funeral service took place at St Hilda's Church in Whitby and afterwards her coffin was placed on a horse-drawn carriage which was taken through the town for one final time.

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