Royal National Lifeboat Institution

Hello! We are the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. That is a long name, so many people call us the RNLI for short. We are a special group called a charity. This means our main job is to help people. We help keep everyone safe when they are in the water. Our helpers work all around the seas of the United Kingdom and Ireland. If a boat is in trouble or a person needs help in the water, we go out to rescue them.

We use special boats to do our work. Our boats are called lifeboats. They are very big and very strong. This helps them stay safe when they go out into big, splashy waves and stormy weather. The people who drive our boats are brave volunteers. This means they are kind helpers who choose to give their time to rescue others. We also have helpers on land. In the sunny summer, you might see our lifeguards at the beach. They watch over everyone to keep them safe while they swim and play.

We have been helping people for a very, very long time. We started our work back in 1824. And we are still here today, helping people every single day. Our teams are always ready to go, whether it is daytime or nighttime. Besides rescuing people from the water, we also teach everyone how to be safe near the sea. We want you to have a fun and happy time at the beach. Knowing about water safety helps everyone stay safe.