We start this story having already passed one ten year anniversary, but it was not one that we really wished to celebrate. In May 2015 the RNLI informed us that the Lifeboat Station in St Abbs would be closed, and instead a second inshore boat would be placed in Eyemouth. The news was shocking to a community which had supported its lifeboat through the generations since 1911. The proposal was akin to ripping the heart out of the village. The months from May to September were therefore ones of first shock, then sadness, then anger; an anger that galvanised the community into action and so the “Save St Abbs Lifeboat” campaign was formed.
The aim was to persuade the RNLI to reverse its decision, or if that was not possible, to at least consider transfer of the boat and the equipment into community ownership so that the service could be retained. Arguments were put through discussions, emails, meetings, telephone calls and press briefings about the need and logic for a boat to be located in St Abbs. The RNLIs stated reasons for removing the boat were refuted and proved non-sensical. The argument that the unique nature of St Abbs as a centre for diving and water-based recreation required a boat close by, and a crew with local knowledge, was put to the RNLI strongly and repeatedly.
Alongside the war of words, it was immediately realised that visual imagery was essential to the campaign, as was the use of social media and the internet to spread this imagery far and wide. The “Save St Abbs Lifeboat” logo was created, and a facebook group and website were full of images of people using it in an extraordinary number of locations. A T-Shirt was created, printed by Dunbar T-shirt Shop, and this started to fly off the shelves, worn across the UK at events, fund raisers, press interviews and protests. The story of the T-Shirt is told in more detail here and obviously it still plays a very important role in our messaging to this day. With divers across the UK wearing the T Shirt and waving the logo even at depth, banners lining the hedgerows and posters everywhere you looked, tremendous support starting coming in, including in time from the British Sub-Aqua Club, the Scottish Sub Aqua Club, the National Trust for Scotland, local MPs and MSPs and Scottish Borders Council.
Attention simultaneously turned to recording the views and voices of those who supported the campaign. A paper petition was started, quickly also placed online by divers passionate about St Abbs. This combined work eventually recorded an incredible 13,500 signatures showing just how important people thought the Lifeboat to be. With signatures from across the UK, and also abroad, it proved beyond doubt that this wasn’t just a local campaign – this was a nationwide campaign.
And finally, there was also physical action. At the end of July there had been a protest march down to the harbour with a piper heading the 300 strong crowd, most of whom were wearing the, by now, obligatory T shirt. The demonstration was ironically interrupted by an emergency call which saw the crew launch within two minutes to head out to pick up 3 people who had gone out to sea in a small boat which had begun to take on water. The boat was towed in and the three were brought back to the harbour, to be greeted by a confusingly (for them) huge crowd. If the politicians amongst the crowd weren’t already convinced about the need for a Lifeboat in St Abbs, this scenario unfolding must surely have cemented their opinions.
This post commemorates the day this demonstration of overwhelming support culminated in the petition being handed in on 1st September 2015 to George Rawlinson, Operations Director of the RNLI at the time and later decorated with an MBE for his services to the RNLI. However, after a brief meeting down at the RNLI headquarters in Poole, the three representatives from St Abbs Lifeboat headed home realising that the situation remained unchanged. The decision was final and no amount of logic, persuasion or outpouring of support was going to save St Abbs Lifeboat. The RNLI’s Board of Trustees had “decided unanimously” that the Station would close.
To be continued…..on 8th September with “The Farewell”…..
If you were involved in the campaign at the time and have any memories you’d like to share about what you did and what it meant to you, please use the link above to post your thoughts.
If you have any photos you’d like to include in this album we’d love to see them so please email them to [email protected]
