The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has a new addition to its fleet.
D-859 ‘The Rotarian’ came into active service in May after a naming ceremony at Filey Lifeboat Station in North Yorkshire.
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Four years previously, Past District Governor Robert Morphet challenged Rotary clubs across Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire to raise money towards the cost of a new lifeboat and help support the tremendous work of the RNLI.
The RNLI announced that the next D-class lifeboat would be based in Filey within Rotary District 1040.
In the end, Rotary in Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire surpassed their target by £9,000 to raise £35,000. Current District Governor, Stephen Ellis, named the new lifeboat ‘The Rotarian’ at a special ceremony.
The RNLI posing with ‘The Rotarian’ near the Filey coast.
In recognition of the service and commitment provided at Filey Lifeboat Station, the District Governor presented a Paul Harris Fellowship (PHF) to the Filey RNLI team, which was received by John Colling, Lifeboat Operations Manager.
The PHF medal was returned to the Rotary Club of Bradford West when founder member John Brook died in June 2016. John’s widow, Gita, said that the family would like it to be used appropriately rather than left in drawer. Gita had a front row seat at the naming ceremony and watch a plaque unveiled in John’s memory.
‘The Rotarian’ arrived at Filey in January. She was commissioned and put into service almost straight away and is credited already with saving two lives.
