Littlehampton Lifeboat Station

History

The RNLI opened the first lifeboat station in the town in 1884. It was built on the east bank of the River Arun, near what is now the Harbour Park amusement park. The station's first pulling lifeboat was manned by local sailors and fishermen using oars and sail. During the next 37 years of operation, the lifeboats were launched 26 times before this original station closed in 1921.

Station re-location

In 1903 the boathouse was moved close to the lighthouse. The station was closed in 1921 due to lack of qualified staff, and the placement of a new motor lifeboat further west at Selsey.

The re-opening as an inshore lifeboat station

The RNLI noted that given the increase in the use of pleasure craft and leisure activities, the area was seeing a change in the pattern of casualties along the West Sussex coast and in the Arun river estuary. More services had been required to rescue bathers washed out to sea, people on lilos, dinghies, and various small water craft and as a result, faster first response was needed. The station re-opened in 1967 as an inshore lifeboat station operating a D-class lifeboat housed in a garage on the east bank of the river Arun. The cost was defrayed by a BBC Blue Peter fundraising appeal. The lifeboat was called Blue Peter 1 (D-115) and with this placement came an association with the children's programme that has carried on since.

1979 –

In 1979, the station was improved with the construction of a bespoke new boathouse located near Fishermen's Quay in the town, from which lifeboats could be launched quickly down a short ramp into the river Arun.

In 2002, the station underwent a large re-development. The new building is still located on Fishermen's Quay, but is in a slightly different situation to fit in with the recent waterside changes in the area. The new station has been designed specifically as a two-boat station at a cost of £550,000. The new station saw the arrival of a B-class (Atlantic 75) lifeboat, Blue Peter 1 (B-779), at a cost of £100,000. Blue Peter 1 was replaced in 2016 by a B-class (Atlantic 85) boat, Rennee Sherman (B-891).

A new D-class inshore lifeboat, D-631 Spirit of Juniper, was donated by the Campaign for Real Gin in 2004 at a cost of £25,000, and served until 2014. She was replaced by D-769 Ray of Hope, a later version of the D-Class IB1, funded by a private donor at a cost of £42,000. In recent years, the station has typically responded to around 70 incidents each year, peaking at 109 in 2011.

Visitors

The lifeboat station is open most days between 10am and 3pm (4pm in the summer) to casual visitors. Organised groups are also welcomed, often in partnership with the neighbouring Look and Sea educational centre, contact details on www.littlehamptonlifeboat.org.uk. Members of the education and visits team also visit many groups and associations to present at their meetings.

RNLI Shop

The RNLI shop is adjacent to the boathouse, selling a range of RNLI goods, and open every day from 10am until 3pm, or 4pm in the summer months.

The Blue Peter relationship

The children's television programme Blue Peter held an annual appeal for good causes. In 1966 the programmes producers decided to aim the appeal at raising funds for the RNLI with a view to providing a lifeboat. The programme asked its viewers to send in paperback books. The response was so great that the RNLI's warehouse at Borehamwood was overwhelmed with the second hand books. The proceeds of the appeal raised enough money to buy four inshore lifeboats for the institution, of which one was sent to Littlehampton with the other three going to Beaumaris, North Berwick and St Agnes.

The Blue Peter era at Littlehampton comes to an end in 2016, after 49 years. The original boat has been replaced three times, funded by subsequent Blue Peter appeals, each boat bearing the same name of Blue Peter 1. The new boat will be the Atlantic 85 B-891, named Renée Sherman, and funded by legacy.