19/05/2026
Today’s RNLI fundraisers are part of a tradition stretching back more than 130 years. 💙
Many people don’t realise that the world’s first ever charity street collection was organised in aid of the RNLI on 10 October 1891.
Following the loss of 27 lifeboatmen in the Mexico disaster off the Lancashire coast, Sir Charles and Lady Marion Macara organised what became known as “Lifeboat Saturday” in Manchester. Bands, floats and even lifeboats paraded through the streets while thousands of people flocked into the city to witness the spectacle and support the cause, with volunteers collecting donations in buckets and tins from the crowds.
The event raised more than £5,000 in a single day - an extraordinary achievement at the time. For context, that would be around £825,000 today, showing just how incredible the public support for the RNLI was even back then.
What started as an effort to support lifeboat families and future lifesaving work became the model for street collections used by charities across the world today.
More than a century later, RNLI fundraising teams across the UK and Ireland continue that same tradition of community support, dedication and volunteering.
Here in Montrose, our fundraisers are every bit as important to the station as the crew on the boat. Their hard work helps provide vital training, equipment and support that keeps our volunteers ready to launch 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
From collecting tins in 1891 to today’s fundraising events, one thing has never changed - every donation helps save lives at sea.
📸 The world’s first street collection for the RNLI, in Manchester, 1891.
RNLI Montrose Fundraisers
