On the RNLI's 200th anniversary, the charity's Chief Executive reflects on his 5 years at the wheel

In the final episode of 200 Voices, hear from the person who has led the RNLI through some of its toughest challenges and into our 200th anniversary year: the charity's Chief Executive, Mark Dowie.

With a love for the RNLI that grew from helping with rescues as a young sailor and later signing up as a volunteer at a lifeboat station, Mark took the helm of the charity in 2019. He reflects on his favourite 200 Voices episodes, guiding the RNLI through stormy times, and meeting thousands of 'fundamentally decent' lifesavers and volunteers.

200 Voices is produced by Adventurous Audio for the RNLI   

Interview by the RNLI's Rory Stamp

Soundtrack composed and performed by Jon Nicholls   

The RNLI is a charity celebrating 200 years of saving lives at sea - find out more at RNLI.org/200   

200 Voices might be a podcast, but when the composer of the theme music created the soundtrack, it was a movie that played in his head

The sea doesn’t want for drama. And with its ever-changing moods - from blissful calm to surging swells - it has long inspired musicians. In it, Jon Nicholls, composer of the 200 Voices soundtrack, finds beauty and danger in equal measure. Jon reveals how he went about creating the music for the series, and shares some of the influences that shaped his choices, such as using folk instruments to nod to the ordinary people who have - and still do - put to sea to help others.

Hear about the movie that played in the composer’s head from the outset. It’s no coincidence that listening to the soundtrack, one is reminded of the rise and fall of the waves. But the theme also traces the lifesavers’ journey, from launch to dry land - discover how Jon takes us on that journey with them.

Listen to the full version of the soundtrack or search Jon Nicholls on soundcloud.com

Learn more about Jon's work at jonnicholls.com

200 Voices is produced by Adventurous Audio for the RNLI   

Interview by Adventurous Audio

Soundtrack composed and performed by Jon Nicholls   

The RNLI is a charity celebrating 200 years of saving lives at sea - find out more at RNLI.org/200   

The writer of One Crew – an RNLI history book – recounts some of the names and stories that time forgot

Over 200 years the RNLI has saved more than 144,000 lives. Many rescues and achievements are rightly celebrated, but some sit below the horizon. So when maritime historian Helen Doe set about the daunting task of capturing 2 centuries’ worth of lifesaving and loss, the author decided that it was time some of the lesser-known examples of courage, commitment and sacrifice were included.

In her book – One Crew: The RNLI’s Official 200-Year History – Helen charts the course of the charity, from its humble beginnings to the modern organisation it is today. Over such a span, stormy seas are inevitable. The book explains how the RNLI navigated them, and endured. Along the way, we learn not just about the major milestones and headline-catching rescues, but of characters – some pivotal – and stories brought up from the depths.

Read more about One Crew and other books by the author at helendoe.uk

200 Voices is produced by Adventurous Audio for the RNLI   

Interview by Adventurous Audio

Soundtrack composed and performed by Jon Nicholls   

The RNLI is a charity celebrating 200 years of saving lives at sea - find out more at RNLI.org/200   

In Welsh, Porthdinllaen crew member and TV producer Mali Parry-Jones recalls the real-life drama of a call out to a sailor who’d suffered a stroke

Growing up on the Llyn Peninsula, Mali was always aware of her local lifeboat. Porthdinllaen RNLI was the constant backdrop to her childhood, whether she was hearing the maroons firing or pedalling her bike to spot the launch.

By 2012 Mali was a TV producer and new crew member, helping Welsh language channel S4C to document the departure of the station’s Tyne – the ‘big orange boat’ she remembered arriving in the 1980s – and the new Tamar class that replaced it. In this episode, she describes one of her most memorable shouts aboard the Tamar, and the lifelong bond it created with two Guernsey sailors.

200 Voices is produced by Adventurous Audio for the RNLI   

Interview by Adventurous Audio

Soundtrack composed and performed by Jon Nicholls   

The RNLI is a charity celebrating 200 years of saving lives at sea - find out more at RNLI.org/200   

The force behind the launch - Mark Smith on powering his crew to a Silver Medal rescue 

When his pager went off on 20 May 2021, Trearddur Bay RNLI Tractor Driver Mark Smith knew exactly what it was about. Moments before, he’d looked out of his window and spotted three surfers struggling in treacherous swell and waves. 

Mark talks about the incredibly challenging shout, which led to his fellow volunteer crew members receiving Silver and Bronze Medals, and Mark himself receiving the Director of Operations Commendation. Mark shares what kept him calm facing the worst sea conditions he’d ever experienced – and how everyone played a vital part.  

200 Voices is produced by Adventurous Audio for the RNLI   

Interview by the RNLI's James Dwyer

Soundtrack composed and performed by Jon Nicholls   

The RNLI is a charity celebrating 200 years of saving lives at sea - find out more at RNLI.org/200   

The charity's founder was a man on a mission. In his words from 1823, we see the same guiding vision that’s saving lives 2 centuries later

On 28 February 1823, RNLI founder Sir William Hillary wrote his Appeal to the Nation. It set out his vision for a voluntary organisation, supported by charitable donations to save lives at sea. A vision so forward-thinking that its principles hold true today.

As Heritage Archive and Research Manager, it’s Hayley Whiting’s job to look after this document, and the thousands of others that chart the RNLI’s evolving response to the ‘preservation of life’.

On a tour that takes in barometers, medals, rockets and chocolate, Hayley talks us through the Appeal, and explains why Hillary would still recognise the modern RNLI by its founding values: that whoever you are, you will be rescued; that we will find new ways to keep everyone safe; and that we will share our expertise with like-minded people around the world.

200 Voices is produced by Adventurous Audio for the RNLI   

Interview by the RNLI's Rory Stamp

Soundtrack composed and performed by Jon Nicholls   

The RNLI is a charity celebrating 200 years of saving lives at sea - find out more at RNLI.org/200   

Former Torbay RNLI Coxswain Keith Bower remembers a life-changing rescue 

On December 6, 1976, just before 1am, when most were sleeping soundly, Torbay RNLI’s then Acting Coxswain Keith Bower was woken by an urgent call for help. It marked the start of a shout for which Keith was awarded a Gold Medal for Conspicuous Gallantry. 

Faced with storm conditions, 12m waves and crew members suffering seasickness, Keith recalls the extreme challenges of rescuing the crew of the motor vessel, Lyrma. Despite the recognition that followed the rescue, which included an invitation to Buckingham Palace, the thing that Keith is most proud of is ‘being able to handle a boat’ – a lifeboatman through and through. 

200 Voices is produced by Adventurous Audio for the RNLI   

Interview by the RNLI's Eleanor Driscoll

Soundtrack composed and performed by Jon Nicholls   

The RNLI is a charity celebrating 200 years of saving lives at sea - find out more at RNLI.org/200   

It was anything but a day of rest – a legendary St Davids Coxswain on his greatest test

For local fisherman Dai Chant, volunteering on the St Davids lifeboat was perhaps inevitable. On 26 February 1989, the Mayday call came in for his most dangerous shout – to lead the rescue of four fellow fishermen, as their trawler Stephanie Jane dragged perilously towards South Bishop Lighthouse.

Coxswain Chant takes us out into the boiling seas and rocky islands off the Pembrokeshire coast. From screaming winds to eerie silence as the lifeboat was submerged, we hear about the teamwork it takes to save lives in a violent storm. Awarded a Bronze Medal for his command of the rescue, Dai explains why the skill of his dependable crew made it a medal ‘for the whole boat’.

200 Voices is produced by Adventurous Audio for the RNLI   

Interview by Adventurous Audio

Soundtrack composed and performed by Jon Nicholls   

The RNLI is a charity celebrating 200 years of saving lives at sea - find out more at RNLI.org/200   

In an age of selfies, photographer Jack Lowe uses Victorian methods on his quest to capture lifeboat crew from every RNLI lifeboat station. He tells us why

For a 200-year-old institution, it’s fitting that photographer Jack Lowe’s Lifeboat Station Project allows us to see the modern work of the RNLI through a historical lens – quite literally. In 2015, Jack set out on a 10-year mission in his mobile darkroom – a converted ambulance he aptly named Neena – to photograph crew members at all 238 RNLI lifeboat stations. Eschewing contemporary methods, he uses a 170-year-old process known as wet collodion – something Jack calls ‘mobile-gearbox photography’.

It’s a painstaking, multi-staged task, but the results are worth it. Jack has so far captured lifesavers at 158 lifeboat stations – many volunteers are moved by the photographs, sometimes to tears. In this episode, Jack talks about how old techniques can reveal new perspectives.

You can view many of the photographs taken for the Lifeboat Station Project at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. Women of the RNLI runs 2 March-1 December 2024.

To book tickets, visit: rmg.co.uk

Learn more about the Lifeboat Station Project at: lifeboatstationproject.com

200 Voices is produced by Adventurous Audio for the RNLI   

Interview by Adventurous Audio

Soundtrack composed and performed by Jon Nicholls   

The RNLI is a charity celebrating 200 years of saving lives at sea - find out more at RNLI.org/200   

The 20th Chairman of the RNLI reflects on why 200 years of lifesaving connects us all

What does it mean to be part of the RNLI? In his lifelong connection with our charity, Charles Hunter-Pease has been gathering stories to answer that question.

From his childhood hearing the maroons fire and awaiting the Filey lifeboat crew’s safe return, Charles has gone on to support the RNLI as both a businessman and a volunteer. When he became RNLI Chairman in 2013, his energy and enthusiasm was matched by the inspiration and welcome he found in the RNLI family.

Through laughter and tears, this episode reflects the impact of every life saved and tragedy prevented since 1824. Whether it’s in a priceless cup of tea, a surprising invoice in the archives or a lifeboat at sea in Hyde Park, Charles finds the humanity at the heart of the institution.

200 Voices is produced by Adventurous Audio for the RNLI   

Interview by Adventurous Audio

Soundtrack composed and performed by Jon Nicholls   

The RNLI is a charity celebrating 200 years of saving lives at sea - find out more at RNLI.org/200   

At the RNLI, we don’t just answer calls for help. Alison Murphy on the privilege of hearing from our supporters

Phone the RNLI to ask a question, make a donation or just have a chat, and you’ll speak to Alison or one of her 26-strong team. For more than 20 years, the Supporter Experience Manager has been one of the friendly, compassionate voices answering your calls.

From Christmas Day companionship to lunch with royalty, Alison explains why this is no ordinary call-centre job. She shares some of her most memorable conversations with the kind people who power the RNLI – and remembers the greatest test faced by her team in the sudden shock of the Covid-19 lockdown.

200 Voices is produced by Adventurous Audio for the RNLI   

Interview by the RNLI's Rory Stamp

Soundtrack composed and performed by Jon Nicholls   

The RNLI is a charity celebrating 200 years of saving lives at sea - find out more at RNLI.org/200