No less than 74 people took to the stage to accept honorary awards at the afternoon ceremony. ‘They all give generously of their time – some as station personnel, others as officials and members of branches and guilds,’ said Paul Boissier.

‘They are great ambassadors for the RNLI in communities around the UK and the Republic of Ireland. These are people who, like so many of our lifesavers, have gone above and beyond anything we could have asked of them.’

HRH The Duke of Kent also presented Supporter Awards to individuals organisations and groups who had given outstanding support in 2014:

FAMILY AWARD: Victoria Milligan
The Milligan Charitable Bike Ride was a 3-day cycling challenge from Cornwall to London in memory of Nicko and Emily Milligan, who died in a powerboat accident in Cornwall in May 2013. Victoria, Nicko’s wife and Emily’s mother, went to exceptional lengths to raise a phenomenal sum, and awareness for the charities that helped her family through the tragic death of their father and their sister. This total included £230,000 for the RNLI.

PARTNERSHIPS: The Amateur Swimming Association
The ASA and RNLI partnered for a second consecutive year in 2014 to deliver the Swim Safe programme. This consists of free open water swimming classes and safety advice forchildren enjoying the sea, lakes, rivers and beaches. Together, the two organisations have now delivered Swim Safe lessons to more than 6,000 children aged 7 to 14, and shared lifesaving safety messages with their families.

BRANCH AWARD: Lytham St Annes Fundraising Branch
Just 4 years ago, a group of Lytham St Annes fundraisers became an official Lifeboat Station Fundraising Branch after years of tireless volunteer work. Since then, they have increased their annual income from an impressive £18,000 to an astonishing £71,000.

GROUP AWARD: Kinvara
Kinvara is a small village on the south coast of Galway Bay and in 2006, a group of locals banded together to raise money for Galway Lifeboat Station. Fundraising involves the entire community, and has generated more than €100,000 to date.

INDIVIDUAL AWARD: Andrea Corrie

Andrea’s son James drowned in the River Thames in 2005, and throughout the decade since, Andrea has dedicated herself to preventing further tragedies. Andrea subsequently campaigned for the installation of safety barriers along the same stretch of the Thames that claimed her son’s life, and found success after 3 years. In 2014, she began working with the RNLI to support our Respect the Water campaign, sharing her son’s tragic story on campaign materials for pubs and bars, in the wider media and on our website. Andrea has now written and published a book – Into the Mourning Light – along with articles on bereavement websites (including that of the US-based Drowning Support Network). She is committed to helping others strive for positivity in the face of loss.

CHANGES TO THE AGM AND ANNUAL AWARDS
After 12 years at the Barbican, our AGM and Annual Presentation of Awards will change in 2016 – they will not be tied to the same venue or the same date. Look out for more information in the next edition of Lifeboat magazine.