A special thanksgiving service was held at St Michael’s Church on Sunday 22 February 2026 to celebrate 200 years of the RNLI’s connection with Lyme Regis. Around 150 people attended, including lifeboat volunteers, their families, local residents and representatives from other emergency services.
The anniversary commemorates a letter sent on 22 February 1826 from the RNLI’s London headquarters—then called the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck—providing £18 4s 0d to convert a local fishing boat into a lifeboat. This marks the earliest recorded link between the town and the charity.
The service, led by Reverend Fi Budden, honoured two centuries of lifesaving work, recognising the vital role of volunteers, their families, fundraisers and the wider community. It also remembered those who lost their lives in service.
Representing the RNLI trustees, Jayne George highlighted the collective effort behind every lifeboat launch, while Petrina Muscroft praised the dedication of generations of volunteers.
The thanksgiving service is the first in a series of bicentenary events. The next will be a town parade of the inshore lifeboat Spirit of Loch Fyne on Saturday 2 May, starting from the lifeboat station at 11am.
