Blue Peter lifeboats
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 Blue Peter VII at Fishguard Lifeboat Station |
Blue Peter lifeboats are a series of lifeboats, provided to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), which were funded by some of the annual appeals held by the BBC TV children's programme Blue Peter.
An appeal in 1966 provided four D-class (RFD PB16) inshore lifeboats, which went on service in 1967 and 1968.[1]
Three further appeals resulted in D-class and B-class lifeboats being placed at six stations, a Trent-class All-weather lifeboat being placed at Fishguard, and one D-class Inshore lifeboat being retained in the relief fleet; the latter being transferred to various stations as operations and maintenance required.
A total of 28 lifeboats have been funded by the various Blue Peter appeals, and have served at the following stations; the name of the lifeboat remaining with the station, even when the lifeboat was replaced.
- Blue Peter I – Littlehampton
- Blue Peter II – Beaumaris
- Blue Peter III – North Berwick
- Blue Peter IV – St Agnes
- Blue Peter V – Portaferry
- Blue Peter VI – Cleethorpes
- Blue Peter VII – Fishguard
As of March 2026, just two Blue Peter lifeboats remain on service:[2]
- B-class (Atlantic 85) Inshore lifeboat Blue Peter V (B-833) at Portaferry
- Trent-class All-weather lifeboat 14-03 Blue Peter VII (ON 1198) at Fishguard.
One of the annual features of the BBC TV children's programme Blue Peter was a fundraising appeal. Rather than asking for money, programme editor Biddy Baxter MBE decided to make it possible for even the poorest children to be able to contribute. The first appeal was held in 1962, when viewers were asked to collect postage stamps, to raise money for homes for the homeless.[3]
In 1964, in response to an increasing amount of water-based leisure activity, the RNLI placed 25 small fast Inshore lifeboats around the country. These were easily launched with just a few people, ideal to respond quickly to local emergencies.[4]
The target of the 1966 Blue Peter appeal was the donation of 60,000 paperback books, the sale of which would fund one new Inshore lifeboat for the RNLI. At the end of the appeal, 250,000 paperback books had been sent in. Instead of just one lifeboat, four new lifeboats were provided. Three former lifeboat stations, at Littlehampton, North Berwick, and Beaumaris, were re-established, and a Blue Peter lifeboat placed there on service in 1967. A completely new station opened at St Agnes in 1968.[1][5]
On 8 June 1972, a second appeal was made, to provide replacement lifeboats for the four Inshore lifeboats. Paperback books were once again requested for the appeal.[5]
Blue Peter held a "Double Lifesaver" appeal in 1984, when viewers were requested to send in stamps, buttons and postcards. The money raised went to fund water tanks and pumps in Ethiopia, along with another set of Inshore lifeboats. Enough funds were raised that a fifth boat was provided to Portaferry in Northern Ireland, and a D-class (Zodiac III) Inshore lifeboat Blue Peter VI (D-340) was later added to the relief fleet, which might be sent to any station, to cover for maintenance and repairs.[6]
When Blue Peter launched their annual appeal in November 1993, the target was to raise enough money to replace six Inshore lifeboats, at Littlehampton, Beaumaris, North Berwick, St Agnes, Portaferry and Cleethorpes. Such was the enormous success of the "Pieces of Eight" appeal, which raised over £1.4 million, that for the first time, there was also enough money to fund an All-weather lifeboat.[7]
[[File:RNLI RIB B-779 Blue Peter 1 speeding up the Arun (geograph 4864592).jpg|thumb|right|{{Lbs|Littlehampton Blue Peter I (B-779) in 2016]]
Cleethorpes would become the sixth station to receive a Blue Peter lifeboat. On 22 February 1994, the seven-year-old Inshore lifeboat Tricentrol II (D-325) was withdrawn, and replaced by Blue Peter VI (D-454). A naming ceremony was held on 16 July 1994, with the lifeboat being handed over to Cleethorpes lifeboat station by Blue Peter presenter Anthea Turner, followed by a fly-past of the Air-Sea rescue helicopter from RAF Leconfield.[8]
The new Trent-class All-weather lifeboat arrived at Fishguard in 1994. On 17 June 1995, in front of a large crowd of onlookers, Blue Peter presenters Diane-Louise Jordan, Tim Vincent and Stuart Miles carried out the naming ceremony, with the boat being named 14-03 Blue Peter VII (ON 1198).[9]
The last appeal, "Pieces of Eight", was held in 1993. The funds raised continued to provide lifeboats until a final B-class (Atlantic 85) was stationed at Portaferry in 2009.[10]
Station honours
The following are awards made to Blue Peter lifeboat crew.[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]
- Peter David Bliss, Helm, St Agnes – 1978
- Gary Barlow, Helm, Cleethorpes – 2004
- Gavin Forehead, Helm, St Agnes – 2005
- Benjamin Pearson, Helm, North Berwick – 1973
- Alexander Russell, crew member, North Berwick – 1973
- David Gallichan, Coxswain, Beaumaris – 1982
- John Desmond Rogers, Helm, Portaferry – 1983
- David L. Steenvoorden, Helm, Cleethorpes – 1990
- Ian Sanderson, Helm, Cleethorpes – 2004
- Shaun Sonley, crew member, Cleethorpes – 2004
- Tony Salters, crew member, Cleethorpes – 2004
- The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
- C. R. Cole, crew member, Littlehampton – 1970
- C. J. Pelham, crew member, Littlehampton – 1970
- James Pearson, crew member, North Berwick – 1973
- John Charles Askew, Helm, Beaumaris – 1976
- David Jones, Helm, Beaumaris – 1978
- David William Woollven, Helm, Littlehampton – 1982
- William Ellison, crew member, Portaferry – 1983
- Francis Rogers, crew member, Portaferry – 1983
- Steven A. Burton, crew member, Cleethorpes – 1990
- Martin J. Kennedy, crew member, Cleethorpes – 1990
- Peter Roberts, crew member, St Agnes – 1996
- Andrew Northcote, Helm, St Agnes – 2002
- Rory Bushe, crew member, St Agnes – 2005
- James Watkins, crew member, St Agnes – 2005
- Simon Rogers, Helm, Portaferry – 2006
- Stephen Done, Helm, Fishguard – 2007
- Vellum Service Certificates
- John Askew, crew member, Beaumaris – 1978
- Simon Dubberley, crew member, Beaumaris – 1978
- Dr Jack Dubberley, crew member, Beaumaris – 1978
- The Ralph Glister Award 1989
(for the most meritorious service of the year performed by a rescue boat crew)
- David L. Steenvoorden, Helm, Cleethorpes – 1990
- Steven A. Burton, crew member, Cleethorpes – 1990
- Martin J. Kennedy, crew member, Cleethorpes – 1990
- The Walter and Elizabeth Groombridge Award 2006
(for the outstanding inshore lifeboat rescue of the year)
- Simon Rogers, Helm, Portaferry – 2006
- Sinead Breen, Portaferry – 2006
- Philip Sands-Robinson, Portaferry – 2006
- Andrew Edwards, Portaferry – 2006
- A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
- Francis George, Coxswain, Fishguard – 1984
- Gary Barlow, crew member, Cleethorpes – 1996
- Shane Johnson, crew member, Cleethorpes – 1997
- Martin Broughton, crew member, Beaumaris – 1998
- Rory Bushe, crew members, St Agnes – 2002
- Carey Morgan, crew members, St Agnes – 2002
- Dr Joanne Boughton, crew member, Fishguard – 2007
- Robert Lanham, crew member, Fishguard – 2007
- Royal Humane Society Certificate of Commendation
- Peter David Bliss, Helm, St Agnes – 1983
- James Michael Bower Endowment Fund award
- Gary Barlow, Helm, Cleethorpes – 2004
- Gavin Forehead, Helm, St Agnes – 2005
- The Daily Express LifeSavers Award from Vodafone 2005
- Gavin Forehead, Helm, St Agnes – 2005
- Rory Bushe, crew member, St Agnes – 2005
- James Watkins, crew member, St Agnes – 2005
- A Collective Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
- David L. Steenvoorden, Helm, Cleethorpes – 1990
- N. Holroyd, Tractor Driver, Cleethorpes – 1990
- T. Smith, Launcher, Cleethorpes – 1990
- D. W. Richardson, crew member, Cleethorpes – 1990
- M. A. Sweeney, crew member, Cleethorpes – 1990
- M. J. Kennedy, crew member, Cleethorpes – 1990
- M. N. Fowler, crew member, Cleethorpes – 1990
- S. A. Burton, crew member, Cleethorpes – 1990
- W. J. Barlow, crew member, Cleethorpes – 1990