[5][6] By 1850, annual income had dropped to £354,[5] but a new committee then started to turn around the Institution and appointed Richard Lewis as Secretary.

[10] The lifeboats operated by other local committees under the Duke of Northumberland were transferred to the RNIPLS and in 1854 an arrangement was made with the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Benevolent Society (SFMBS).

[7] Although the lifeboats were built by commercial boatbuilders, the RNLI had a need to supply stores and replace worn out or damaged equipment.

[11] The loss of 27 lifeboat crew from Southport and St Annes in 1886 inspired local committee member Charles Macara to campaign for more funds to support the families of volunteers who were killed during rescues.

[11] The war placed considerable extra demands on the RNLI, particularly in south and east England where the threat of invasion and enemy activity was ever-present,[22] rescuing downed aircrew a frequent occurrence, and the constant danger of mines.

Both coxswains, Edward Parker from Margate and Howard Primrose Knight from Ramsgate were awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for their "gallantry and determination when ferrying troops from the beaches".

Some RNLI crew members stayed in Dover for the emergency to provide repair and refuelling facilities, and after the end of the evacuation most lifeboats returned to their stations with varying levels of damage and continued their lifesaving services.

Faster craft allowed the location of stations to be reviewed with the aim of being able to reach 95% of casualties within 30 minutes of launch.

The British government praised its 'vital work' but politician Nigel Farage criticised the organisation as being a 'taxi service' for human trafficking gangs.

[39] The biggest rescue in the RNLI's history was on 17 March 1907, when the 12,000 tonne liner SS Suevic hit the Maenheere Reef near Lizard Point in Cornwall.

In a strong gale and dense fog, RNLI lifeboat volunteers rescued 456 passengers, including 70 babies.

Crews from The Lizard, Cadgwith, Coverack and Porthleven rowed out repeatedly for 16 hours to rescue all of the people on board.

This stance was demonstrated at Newquay in 2009, when the RNLI was criticised for not launching a lifeboat in order to aid an uncrewed fishing vessel that had run aground.

A spokesperson for the RNLI declared that "We are not a salvage firm and our charity's aim is to provide immediate assistance for people in trouble at sea and lives are at risk.

[51] The most decorated lifeboatman was Henry Blogg GC BEM, coxswain of Cromer for 37 years, with three gold medals and four silver.

[18] In 2022, Trearddur Bay Helmsman Lee Duncan became the first crew member of an Atlantic 85 lifeboat to be awarded the RNLI silver medal for the rescue of a surfer in extreme weather conditions.

His three other crew members, Dafydd Griffiths, Leigh McCann and Michael Doran, were each awarded the RNLI bronze medal.

[66][67] The RNLI provides lifeboat services around the coasts and on certain inland waterways throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and offshore islands.

[70] Tower Lifeboat Station on the River Thames in London is the RNLI's busiest; in 2013 crews rescued 372 people and saved 25 lives.

[85] The RNLI offers safety advice in person and in publications to boat and beach users when the opportunity arises, and to at-risk groups such as anglers, divers and kayakers.

[87][88] RNLI lifeboats that have been replaced by more modern boats are often sold to other countries including Iceland, Uruguay, Chile and China.

[98] A typical cast iron collection box in Porthgwarra, Cornwall, is Grade II listed[99] as is an unusual fish-shaped one in Robin Hood's Bay.

It runs a number of museums:[101] Other independent lifeboat museums can be found, many of which will have RNLI memorabilia: The RNLI 200th anniversary and Isle of Man’s maritime heritage exhibition 'All at Sea' is at House of Manannan, Peel, Isle of Man, from 17 February 2024 to 26 January 2025.

It features the work of photographer Jack Lowe, who uses the Victorian Collodion wet plate process to create the images.

The series was based on a book by Alun Richards who wanted to show lifeboat crews as "ordinary men who became extraordinary because of their very nature of their task, saving life in any weather".

[123] On 2 August 2024, a song commemorating the 200th anniversary of the service titled "Brave Volunteers" was released by Seth Lakeman and Fisherman's Friends.

It was sold for 1½d for "laying before the public all the information respecting the construction and establishment of Life-Boats, the number of Shipwrecks, the exertions made to save Life and Property, and the prizes and medals awarded to those who have been most active in that noble service".

[126] The first design of the RNLI flag was created by Leonora Preston in 1884 after her brother was rescued by Ramsgate lifeboat volunteers.

The design depicts Saint George's Cross bordered by a dark blue line and within the white cantons, initials of the charity name coloured red.

The first design included the Tudor crown worn by George VI at the centre of the cross with a foul anchor below it, representing the charity's dedication to the royal charter and to the sea.