As a lifeboat crew member and a dad, it’s amazing to think that the children of today are the RNLI lifesavers and supporters of the future. They’re not old enough yet to join a crew or give a generous regular donation as you do. But you can never be too young to get into danger on the water. So it’s good to know the RNLI has been calling on a different kind of lifesaving volunteer to prevent tragedies too.

Our education presenters talk to school pupils regularly, passing on safety messages and raising awareness of our charity. We’ll never know how many lives they have saved. As you’ll read on page 22, their work is so important. But what about us crew members and the RNLI lifeguards – how do we know what to do when the sea turns on us? The answer lies in our brilliant training, and the RNLI College has been the home of our lifesaving learning for a decade now (p31). And while we’re talking birthdays, this year marks the RNLI’s 190th. Meet the characters who helped form the charity on p26. It just shows that it takes all sorts to help save lives at sea. Thank you for playing your part, for keeping us equipped and safe – and here’s to many more happy returns.

Andrew McHaffie

Tobermory Coxswain