Leader - For those in peril on the sea

None of us knows when we might be in need of the RNLI

RNLI lifeboats were dispatched 1,251 times in Scotland in 2023 - a rise of 12 per cent on the previous year - as crews from 46 stations across the country saved 15 lives.

Louise Houghton owes her life to the volunteers who rescued her after she fell from cliffs in an abseiling accident in Orkney.

She broke her left arm, her back in multiple places, her pelvis and both feet, and spent four months in hospital.

Volunteers from Stromness RNLI, some of whom helped save Louise Houghton's life after an abseiling accident in Orkney. Photo: Richard Clubley/RNLI/PA Wire

Ms Houghton has met the RNLI volunteers who came to her rescue to thank them for saving her life. Without them, she said, “she wouldn’t be here today”.

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The charity, which has recently marked its 200th anniversary, is now preparing for its busiest time of year - the summer.

In these straitened times, the need to support the RNLI and the vital work of its volunteers is as acute as ever.

As Ms Houghton will testify, none of us knows when we or our loved ones might be in need of their bravery and skill.