21st century stations The RNLI’s Shoreworks team is continuing to update lifeboat stations around the UK and RoI, thanks to your support.

In Hoylake, Merseyside, a £2M appeal has been launched to raise funds for a new lifeboat station to cover the approaches to Liverpool. The existing boathouse was built in 1899 and it will not be possible to modify it for the next generation of lifeboat that will replace the station’s Mersey class Lady of Hilbre.

Hoylake Coxswain Dave Whiteley (pictured above, right) says: ‘At the moment, the crew are based in a cramped, ageing building designed to house 19th-century rowing lifeboats. We don’t have proper training and crew facilities and sometimes our lifeboat kit doesn’t dry out properly between shouts.’ Find out more or donate at rnli.org.uk/ hoylakeappeal.

Devon District Council has given planning permission for a new station at Exmouth, construction of which is scheduled to begin in the Spring. At the moment, Exmouth’s Trent class all-weather lifeboat is tidally restricted and cannot launch on service at low water. Her crew members change in temporary cabins and use public toilets.

The inshore D class lifeboat is housed further along the seafront, and shore helpers must bring her across a busy road to the beach before launching.

The new building will be near Maer Rocks and will house both the D class and a carriage-launched all-weather lifeboat that can head out at any state of tide. There will be better crew facilities and more environmentally friendly and cost-saving features such as solar panels and rainwater harvesting.

The introduction of the Tamar class and Atlantic 85 lifeboats means more shoreworks projects are underway or planned at Shoreham, Bembridge and Sennen Cove, Queensferry and Portaferry..