In its 200th year, the RNLI has a long history of embracing innovation to help save lives at sea around the UK’s coast. 

Always open to learning new ways of doing things, a group from the lifesaving charity visited Sellafield’s Engineering Centre of Excellence (on May 25) to find out how industry innovates.

Darren Veevers, RNLI Regional Engineering Lead, covering an area from South Wales to the Scottish border, from Penarth to Silloth, and including the Isle of Man, organised the visit to the centre at Cleator Moor in Cumbria.

The RNLI engineers were hosted by Craig Branney, Sellafield’s Head of Off-Site Developments, who explained how team members collaborate and innovate, including with the supply chain, to develop solutions to industry challenges in a highly regulated nuclear decommissioning sector.

The eight-strong RNLI delegation were impressed with what they saw on the visit, which was also designed to further their own team’s personal and professional development.

Darren said: “It’s good for us all to step back a bit at times, open your mind, think differently, and learn from how other people do things in a completely different environment. I have been mentored to do that and I want to make sure my team has the opportunity to benefit from that too.

“The RNLI is a world-leading organisation in what we do. But it is always interesting to see how other people approach things, solve problems and see what we can learn from them.

“The RNLI will be celebrating its 200th birthday in March 2024. Two hundred years ago we were launching boats with horses. Now we have £3m boats with moveable turntables.

“The Centre of Excellence has been brilliant in opening its doors to us and explaining the way they think and approach solving engineering problems. This visit has been fantastic for sharing knowledge and best practice in a way which hopefully helps both organisations. 

“I would love the opportunity to come and bring the team to work on a project in one of the bays here.”

Richard Glynn, RNLI Station Mechanic at Workington, said: “It’s been a brilliant visit. I only live a few miles away and I didn’t know all this happened here, it’s amazing. I am really impressed.

“From this visit we will definitely be able to follow-up and provide young people in the communities in this area with opportunities here.

“I take Sea Cadets sessions two nights a week and I know for a fact that many of them, including two girls who are looking to gain more engineering experience, would want to come here and see what goes on. It’s great that the centre is open to us doing that.”

Craig Branney said: “We say we have an open door policy at the Engineering Centre of Excellence, and we mean it. 

“It’s great to think that from this first visit we might be hosting young people here from the local community through an organisation like the RNLI who are interested in finding out more about engineering and maintenance.

“We also learned from the RNLI team, who shared with us some thought-provoking information about safety at sea. It was great to share knowledge and ideas.”