20th July 2008

New RNLI Christmas card to feature Indian Chief rescue

One of the RNLI's Christmas cards this year, will feature a painting inspired by the service to the Indian Chief by Ramsgate lifeboat Bradford on 5 January 1881. The original painting was by Mark Myers RSMA F/ASMA.

Copies of the card can be purchased from the RNLI's web site.

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13th March 2008

Ramsgate RNLI lifeboat gets stamp of approval

Ramsgate RNLI all-weather lifeboat Esme Anderson is featured on a special limited-edition stamp sheet which will raise up to £20,000 for the lifesaving charity.

The stamp sheet has been produced to complement a Royal Mail stamp issue called Mayday – Rescue at Sea which is on sale from 13 March and commemorates the centenary of the adoption of S-O-S as the worldwide Morse code distress signal at sea.

The RNLI will not benefit financially from the sale of the Royal Mail stamps and so commissioned some special first day covers and the stamp sheet from Buckingham Covers, who supply limited edition products for stamp collectors. The charity hopes to raise £20,000 from their sale.

The stunning photo of Ramsgate lifeboat featured on the sheet was taken by Lieutenant Commander Russell Clark who took the photograph from a Royal Navy helicopter out on exercise. The shot shows the lifeboat returning from a re-fit last May.

Coxswain Ian Cannon from Ramsgate RNLI lifeboat station said: ‘It is a great honour for our lifeboat to be featured on the stamp sheet. The photo is a great shot and really captures the Ramsgate RNLI’s lifeboat in action, battling against heavy seas. Hopefully this special stamp sheet will help remind people of the amazing work our volunteer crews do, as well as helping to raise funds for the lifeboat charity.’

The money raised from the stamp sheet and the first day covers will go towards an appeal to provide the RNLI Memorial – the first official national tribute to the many RNLI lifesavers and fundraisers who have served the charity over the last 180-plus years, especially the 438 crew members who have died while saving lives at sea

The six stamp Royal Mail Mayday – Rescue at Sea issue will run to over 30 million stamps. Each stamp features a striking photograph that captures the testing conditions encountered by RNLI volunteer lifeboat crews and HM Coastguard rescue helicopters in saving lives at sea. Four of the set of six stamps feature RNLI lifeboats: Barra in the Western Isles of Scotland (1st class stamp); Appledore, Devon (46 pence stamp); St Ives, Cornwall (54p stamp) and Tenby, Pembrokeshire (78p stamp). The other two stamps feature the work of HM Coastguard helicopters from Lee-on-Solent (69p stamp) and Portland (48p stamp).

For more information on ordering special limited edition RNLI first day covers and stamp sheets please call: 01303 278137 or visit: www.buckinghamcovers.com

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