Gravesend RNLI

29/05/2026

Our duty crew were treated to a beautiful evening on the river last night whilst out training on relief lifeboat B-863.

With calm conditions and a glass-like Thames, the volunteers headed outbound to explore creek entrances and carry out man overboard drills.

All part of maintaining those vital seamanship and lifesaving skills.

25/05/2026

Another scorching day on the River Thames!

If you’re heading to the seaside today, please stay safe and only enter the water at lifeguarded beaches, swimming between the red and yellow flags. 🚩

27/04/2026

We have some exciting news!

We recently welcomed Coastal Lifeboat Trainer Matt Simpson to station, where he carried out two successful assessments at Gravesend.

Firstly, a huge congratulations to Tyler Bonham on qualifying as a Thames Navigator. Tyler continues his journey towards becoming a Thames Commander, while also volunteering as a Helm at our flank station, Southend RNLI.

We would also like to congratulate Ashley Bard, who successfully completed a series of challenging scenarios and has now qualified as a Thames Helm. Ashley is now ready to take command of the lifeboat for search and rescue taskings on the River Thames.

Please join us in congratulating them both on their hard work and achievements 👏

24/04/2026

What a difference a few hours makes on the River Thames!

This is the perfect example why our RNLI volunteers train to navigate in all conditions.

02/04/2026

RNLI's Mayday Mile is just around the corner, complete a mile a day in May and help our volunteers save lives this summer.

Follow in the footsteps of Gravesend Thames Commander Tyler Bonham and sign up today, his family have over 53 years volunteering for the RNLI!

👉🏻 Sponsor Tyler here https://fundraise.rnli.org/fundraisers/tylerbonham/mayday-mile

👉🏻Sign up for your own Mayday Mile here
https://fundraise.rnli.org/event/mayday-mile/home

I’m taking on the Mayday Mile to support RNLI lifesavers during their busiest time of year. Will you help me fundraise and make a lifesaving difference?

14/03/2026

Life saves don’t always involve people. Last week our crew spotted a young seagull in distress from the station window.

Our duty crew launched the Atlantic 85 and made their way to the bird, which was flapping helplessly in the Thames. A few larger seagulls had gathered around it, almost as if they were trying to help their smaller companion.

The crew carefully retrieved the young gull and placed it safely on a nearby structure to recover. It was even aided with a bottle of water and a few bourbon biscuits while it regained its strength.

A little while later, the gull was able to recover safely.

A huge shoutout to our crew for looking out for every life on the water!

02/03/2026

🛟Challenge yourself on Sunday 10th May whilst raising money for the RNLI!🛟

This Mayday, will you scale the roof of The O2 Arena in London to show your appreciation for our volunteer lifeboat crews? Your 52m-high rooftop challenge will support their lifesaving on the city’s River Thames.

Sign up below! 👇🏻
https://fundraise.rnli.org/event/mayday-o2-climb

26/02/2026

*24 hours to go!*
Grab your tickets in advance or pay on the door.

We're hosting a pub quiz at the The Three Daws Riverside Inn in Gravesend on Friday 27th February 2026.

🎟️ £5 on the link below or on the door on the night.
🍔 Food available to purchase on the night
🏆 Prizes to be won!
🙂 Teams are a maximum of 8, but you can play solo or join with other solo attendees to form a team on the night.

Tickets can be purchased here 👉🏻

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rnli-gravesend-charity-quiz-2026-tickets-1981318638383?aff=oddtdtcreator

25/02/2026

Meet Fi, one of our many incredible Gravesend RNLI volunteers.

Fi is currently undertaking Navigator training as part of her OCF Development Pathway. This training forms a vital part of developing the skills needed to keep our crew and those we rescue safe at sea.

Although this session took place in broad daylight (and on one of the rare dry, sunny days of 2026 so far!), we’re able to simulate challenging conditions. By using a specially prepared “blind visor”, similar to the same visor we use operationally, but scrubbed to restrict visibility, we can recreate fog and severely reduced visibility.

This allows for realistic restricted-visibility training. During the exercise, Fi was tasked with navigating the lifeboat using radar only, avoiding collision risks and giving accurate bearings to keep the vessel safely on course.

All of our volunteers train throughout their 12-hour shifts, ensuring we’re always ready to respond when tasked by HM Coastguard.

We’re always proud of the dedication and commitment shown by every member of our crew.

16/02/2026

We're hosting a pub quiz at the The Three Daws Riverside Inn on Friday 27th February 2026, and there's spaces available - all whilst raising money for Gravesend RNLI!

🍔 Food available to purchase on the night
🏆 Prizes to be won!
🎟️ £5 (plus small booking fee) per person
🙂 Teams are a maximum of 8, but you can play solo or join with other solo attendees to form a team on the night.

The perfect night with friends or colleagues, please share this post so we can make it a great night for all!

Tickets can be purchased here 👉🏻

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rnli-gravesend-charity-quiz-2026-tickets-1981318638383?aff=oddtdtcreator