A Rather Modest History of the Cornish Flag

The story of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution's founding begins with a man called Sir William Hillary. Living on the Isle of Man, which is situated in the Irish Sea, Hillary was aware of how dangerous the body of water could be for ships attempting to cross, and what that could mean for their crews.

Because of this, he began laying the foundations of the RNLI, contacting people to try and secure funding and support for the idea. By 1824 he had succeeded, and the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck was created, with thirty-nine boats at different points around the UK. It wasn't until 1854 that the name was changed to the more manageable Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

One of the earliest and most famous rescues by the charity was in 1830, when the St George was washed onto Conister Rock at the entrance to Douglas Harbour. Sir William Hillary himself, 60 at the time, was part of the crew who went out. They were swept overboard and battered around over and over, but eventually rescued the entire crew of the St George and suffered no loss of life.

This resulted in Hillary having the idea to build the Tower of Refuge on Conister Rock. The Tower of Refuge is a small, castle-like building actually built on the rock itself, which is impressive considering the rock is cut off by high tides, and can be entirely covered sometimes. Designed to shelter the survivors of shipwrecks on the rock until help can arrive, it was to be kept stocked with bread, fresh water, and first aid equipment for the wounded. Hillary funded a lot of the work himself.

From its humble beginning of 39 boats, the RNLI has grown to now have more than three hundred. It also has four hovercrafts, used for places that boats can't get to, such as sandbanks, mud flats or estuaries.

The RNLI is still funded entirely by voluntary donations, and so the small charity boxes that can be found in shops throughout seaside towns are worth putting a few pounds into when you notice them, and charity drives should always be supported. The crews are also nearly all volunteers.

Since its creation, the charity has rescued well over 137,000 people. In 2008 nearly 8,000 people were rescued, an average of nearly 22 a day. With the RNLI watching the seas, and also organising lifeguards on British beaches, visitors can rest assured they're not far from help if it's needed.

This article was written by Tom Sangers on behalf of Brixham Holiday Park, a caravan site in Devon.