RNLI Dunbar Lifeboats

18/06/2026

Congratulations to some of our longest serving volunteers who were honoured at a special RNLI Volunteer Recognition Event at Hopetoun House, near South Queensferry, on Saturday 13 June.

The ceremony gathered around 150 dedicated volunteers from across Scotland to celebrate their long-service milestones, commitment and contributions to the charity that saves lives at sea.

Among those honoured, for Dunbar RNLI, were:

Gary Fairbairn, full-time coxswain - 30 years' service
Denholm Horsburgh, launch authority - 30 years' service
Gordon Mackay, deputy coxswain - 20 years' service
Gerard McPhillips, station treasurer - 20 years' service
Laura Kirkham, helm - 20 years' service
Pam Denholm, shop volunteer - 20 years' service
Ken Headley, shop manager - 20 years' service
Marie Headley, shop manager - 20 years' service
Fiona Fleming, fundraising committee treasurer - 20 years' service
Rose Burchell, shop volunteer - 10 years' service

Special mention to Margaret Driscoll of RNLI Eyemouth Lifeboat who has been fundraising for the RNLI for a remarkable 70 years!

Well done all!

Our photo shows (L-R) Denholm Horsburgh with partner Nicola Allen, Cath Mackay with husband Gordon, Laura Kirkham with husband Gordon, Emma Fairbairn with husband Gary.

15/06/2026

We're looking for a volunteer to join our water safety team.

For more information please follow this link ...

The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea, but it’s not limited to launching a lifeboat or providing lifeguards to save lives. 

13/06/2026

Dunbar RNLI are proud to introduce our Lifeboat Queen and her court for our 2026 Lifeboat Fete on Saturday 11 July.

And, with just a month to go until our biggest fundraiser of the year, we are excited to announce our line-up of music and entertainment for the event.

Our Lifeboat Queen is Brooke Thomson, who has long-standing connections to Dunbar’s fishing community and the lifeboat crew. Her dad Callum and grandad James are both well known within the harbour community, while her great-grandad Eddie was a member of the lifeboat crew.

Her attendants are Maisie McKenzie, who has connections through the Fairbairn family of fishermen, including former lifeboat coxswain Walter Fairbairn, who received a silver medal for bravery for helping save the lives of 40 men from yacht that had run adrift in 1905, and Grace Paxton, whose great-grandfather Ralph Brunton – one of five brothers who famously volunteered for the Dunbar crew – dedicated 35 years of service to the lifeboat, for which he received the British Empire medal in 1993.

Our herald is Jax Williams, whose dad’s uncle David Koch has been an active member of the lifeboat crew for over 27 years, uncle Ross McMullen served on the crew for 20 years and whose gran Margaret McArthur has also provided immense help to the fete for 20 years. Our flower girl is Devyn Koch, David’s daughter.

Dunbar Lifeboat Fundraising Chair Veronica Davies said: ‘We’re very excited to introduce our queen and court for this year’s fete, continuing a long and proud tradition going back to 1963 when we crowned our first lifeboat queen.’

The Lifeboat Fete will begin with a parade, led by Dunbar Royal British Legion Pipe Band, along the High Street at 1.15pm, before the crowing of the queen takes place at 2pm.

The harbour stage will then be the setting for our fantastic line-up of local bands Logan’s Close, Vega, Bombskare and Runway Son, while over in the Battery audiences will be treated to music from Barnstorm and Elinor Evans. Also on the stage will be Dunbar Highland Dancers and Annemarie Hay Irish Dancers.

Among the fun and games at the harbour will be a chance to meet our volunteer crew and step aboard and tour our all-weather lifeboat.
Alongside our usual favourites, like the fairground rides and archery, there will also be an International Fire and Rescue Association (IFRA) repurposed fire engine and stone stacking. And, of course, we will have a fully licensed bar.

31/05/2026

🛟 Mayday Mile 🛟 Meet the Crew 🛟

Our final Mayday Miler is Gordon, who first joined Dunbar lifeboat crew in 1996, aged 16, on the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.

Although he spent some years away, he has now clocked up an impressive 22 years’ service as a volunteer for Dunbar RNLI.

Currently Gordon is a coxswain and mechanic on our all-weather Trent class lifeboat ‘John Neville Taylor’ and a helm on our D class inshore lifeboat ‘David Lauder’. And he is also married to Laura, our the longest serving female crew member.

A training instructor at Torness Power Station, Gordon has been walking and running his miles, even while down at the RNLI College in Poole, where he has been doing his crew emergency procedures course this week. And later this year he will be going overseas, representing Dunbar at an international search and rescue event.

He said: ‘Even after 22 years on the crew I am still learning and I am excited at the opportunity to head to another country on the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) exchange this September.’

All month, Dunbar RNLI has been issuing its own Mayday call.
We asked our supporters to join us in a Mayday Mile, completing a mile a day in their own way to help raise funds for RNLI lifesavers.

Every mile – by walking, running, cycling or whatever – was a simple way to stand alongside our crew and show your support.

And throughout the month we’ve introduced you to our volunteers who benefit from your generosity, which funds the training, kit and equipment they need to save lives at sea.

Thanks for all your support throughout the month – you are all lifesavers!

To make a donation to Dunbar RNLI please follow the link in the comments…

30/05/2026

🛟 Mayday Mile 🛟 Meet the Crew 🛟

Today it’s the turn of Gerard, Dunbar Lifeboat Station treasurer and one of our launch authorities.

Gerard’s involvement goes back more than 20 years when he first joined and in that time he has also served as a volunteer on the lifeboat crew. He was initially ‘gently persuaded’ into joining by his father Ivor, who was then station president and, in much the same vein, Gerard was ‘politely encouraged’ to log his Mayday Miles!

A retired technical director of an engineering company and dad of three, Gerard‘s miles were a mixture of cycling and on foot, including a walking tour of Malaga last week.

This month, Dunbar RNLI issued its own Mayday call.
We asked our supporters to join us in a Mayday Mile, completing a mile a day in their own way to help raise funds for RNLI lifesavers.

Every mile – by walking, running, cycling or whatever – was a simple way to stand alongside our crew and show your support.

And throughout the month we’ve been introducing you to our volunteers who benefit from your generosity, which funds the training, kit and equipment they need to save lives at sea.

Please let us know of any Mayday Mile fundraising events you have been doing.

29/05/2026

🛟 Mayday Mile 🛟 Meet the Crew 🛟

Our Mayday Miler today is David, one of our newly appointed launch authorities, who has has been involved with the station in several roles for over 27 years.

David, a former crewmember who is now part of the shore crew and a tractor driver for our D class lifeboat, also plays a key role at our annual ‘Lifeboat Day’, managing our all-important bar.

The dad-of-four and proud grandad is a company director of a cleaning firm that operates throughout the UK.

He completed his Mayday Miles by cycling with his daughter Devyn.

This month, Dunbar RNLI issued its own Mayday call.
We asked our supporters to join us in a Mayday Mile, completing a mile a day in their own way to help raise funds for RNLI lifesavers.

Every mile – by walking, running, cycling or whatever – was a simple way to stand alongside our crew and show your support.

And throughout the month we’ve been introducing you to our volunteers who benefit from your generosity, which funds the training, kit and equipment they need to save lives at sea.

Please let us know of any Mayday Mile fundraising events you have been doing.

29/05/2026

Dunbar Primary School's Miles Better!

We turned Mayday Miles into Mayday smiles this morning thanks to the efforts of the children at Dunbar P.S.

The school's regular Friday morning mile run before class became a Mayday Mile as our RNLI lifeboat crew volunteers joined kids - and some parents - for a run to raise money for the charity that saves lives at sea.

Even Stormy Stan got in the act with a strong sprint for the finish line!

Huge thanks to everyone at the school for their support and to all the children and parents who took part and kindly donated.

You answered our Mayday call in style!

28/05/2026

🛟 Mayday Mile 🛟 Meet the Crew 🛟

Today it’s the turn of Eldon, who has become one of more experienced shore crew members and also a trainee tractor driver for our D class inshore lifeboat ‘David Lauder’ since joining two years ago.

An energy assessor for CWP Energy, based from the BeGreen office in the High Street, Eldon completed his Mayday mile walking around Dunbar and along the cliffs at Winterfield.

He says: ‘I have grown up with my dad, Chris, volunteering on the lifeboats for over ten years and I was inspired to join by his bravery and commitment to helping out the local community.’

This month, Dunbar RNLI is issuing its own Mayday call.
We’re asking our supporters to join us in a Mayday Mile, completing a mile a day in their own way to help raise funds for RNLI lifesavers.
Every mile – by walking, running, cycling or whatever – is a simple way to stand alongside our crew and show your support.

And throughout the month we’re introducing you to our volunteers who benefit from your generosity, which funds the training, kit and equipment they need to save lives at sea.
Please let us know of any Mayday Mile fundraising events you are doing.

27/05/2026

🛟 Mayday Mile 🛟 Meet the Crew 🛟

Today it’s the turn of Ian, our lifeboat operations manager (LOM).

Ian ⁠first joined the RNLI in 1978 and has served on the crew at four different lifeboat stations.

Now retired ‘from real work’ after careers in financial services then health and safety, he still finds time to run his own training business, with some occasional work as a commercial skipper of small boats.

Ian has been the LOM at Dunbar since 2023, responsible for the management of all operational volunteers, including the safety and training standards, maintenance of the station and all the equipment and being the liaison between the crew and their families during service calls. He also communicates with our area lifesaving manager (ALM) and RNLI headquarters in Poole.

Ian, who has walking his Mayday Miles with his daughter’s dog Poppy, says: ‘I am ⁠⁠immensely proud to be leading the operations team at Dunbar.’

This month, Dunbar RNLI is issuing its own Mayday call.

We’ve been asking our supporters to join us in a Mayday Mile, completing a mile a day in their own way to help raise funds for RNLI lifesavers.

Every mile – by walking, running, cycling or whatever – is a simple way to stand alongside our crew and show your support.

And throughout the month we’re introducing you to our volunteers who benefit from your generosity, which funds the training, kit and equipment they need to save lives at sea.
Please let us know of any Mayday Mile fundraising events you are doing.

26/05/2026

🛟 Mayday Mile 🛟 Meet the Crew 🛟

Today it’s the turn of Fiona, who has been a valued member of the Dunbar RNLI crew for the past three years, after moving to Dunbar four years ago to take up the role of Harbour Master.

She originally joined as Launch Authority and has now also trained as shore crew for our D class lifeboat ‘David Lauder’ and, most recently, as lifeboat crew on our all-weather Trent class lifeboat ‘John Neville Taylor’.

Alongside her boisterous and cheeky pup Poppy, she clocks up plenty of ‘Mayday Miles’ every day around the harbour, while also making the most of the beautiful beaches along our coastline. 🌊🐾

This month, Dunbar RNLI is issuing its own Mayday call.
We’re asking our supporters to join us in a Mayday Mile, completing a mile a day in their own way to help raise funds for RNLI lifesavers.
Every mile – by walking, running, cycling or whatever – is a simple way to stand alongside our crew and show your support.

And throughout the month we’re introducing you to our volunteers who benefit from your generosity, which funds the training, kit and equipment they need to save lives at sea.
Please let us know of any Mayday Mile fundraising events you are doing.