Blue Peter lifeboats are a series of lifeboats, provided to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), which were funded by some of the annual appeals held by the BBC TV children's programme Blue Peter.

An appeal in 1966 provided four inshore lifeboats, which went into service in 1967 and 1968.

Three further appeals resulted in and lifeboats being placed at six stations, a All-weather lifeboat being placed at , and one Inshore lifeboat being retained in the relief fleet; the latter being transferred to various stations as operations and maintenance required.

A total of 28 lifeboats have been funded by the various Blue Peter appeals, and have served at the following stations; the name of the lifeboat remaining with the station, even when the lifeboat was replaced. Blue Peter I – Blue Peter II – Blue Peter III – Blue Peter IV – Blue Peter V – Blue Peter VI – Blue Peter VII –

As of March 2026, just two Blue Peter lifeboats remain on service: Inshore lifeboat Blue Peter V (B-833) at All-weather lifeboat 14-03 Blue Peter VII (ON 1198) at .

History One of the annual features of the BBC TV children's programme Blue Peter was a fundraising appeal. Rather than asking for money, programme editor Biddy Baxter decided to make it possible for even the poorest children to be able to contribute. The first appeal was held in 1962, when viewers were asked to collect postage stamps, to raise money for homes for the homeless.

In 1964, in response to an increasing amount of water-based leisure activity, the RNLI placed 25 small fast Inshore lifeboats around the country. These were easily launched with just a few people, ideal to respond quickly to local emergencies.

The target of the 1966 Blue Peter appeal was the donation of 60,000 paperback books, the sale of which would fund one new Inshore lifeboat for the RNLI. At the end of the appeal, 250,000 paperback books had been sent in. Instead of just one lifeboat, four new lifeboats were provided. Three former lifeboat stations, at , , and , were re-established, and a Blue Peter lifeboat placed there on service in 1967. A completely new station opened at in 1968.

On 8 June 1972, a second appeal was made, to provide replacement lifeboats for the four Inshore lifeboats. Paperback books were once again requested for the appeal.

Blue Peter held a "Double Lifesaver" appeal in 1984, when viewers were requested to send in stamps, buttons and postcards. The money raised went to fund water tanks and pumps in Ethiopia, along with another set of Inshore lifeboats. Enough funds were raised that a fifth boat was provided to in Northern Ireland, and a Inshore lifeboat Blue Peter VI (D-340) was later added to the relief fleet, which might be sent to any station, to cover for maintenance and repairs.

When Blue Peter launched their annual appeal in November 1993, the target was to raise enough money to replace six Inshore lifeboats, at , , , , and . Such was the enormous success of the "Pieces of Eight" appeal, which raised over £1.4 million, that for the first time, there was also enough money to fund an All-weather lifeboat.

Cleethorpes would become the sixth station to receive a Blue Peter lifeboat. On 22 February 1994, the seven-year-old Inshore lifeboat Tricentrol II (D-325) was withdrawn, and replaced by Blue Peter VI (D-454). A naming ceremony was held on 16 July 1994, with the lifeboat being handed over to Cleethorpes lifeboat station by Blue Peter presenter Anthea Turner, followed by a fly-past of the Air-Sea rescue helicopter from RAF Leconfield.

The new All-weather lifeboat arrived at in 1994. On 17 June 1995, in front of a large crowd of onlookers, Blue Peter presenters Diane-Louise Jordan, Tim Vincent and Stuart Miles carried out the naming ceremony, with the boat being named 14-03 Blue Peter VII (ON 1198).

The last appeal, "Pieces of Eight", was held in 1993. The funds raised continued to provide lifeboats until a final was stationed at in 2009.

Station honours The following are awards made to Blue Peter lifeboat crew.

RNLI Silver Medal Peter David Bliss, Helm, St Agnes – 1978 Gary Barlow, Helm, Cleethorpes – 2004 Gavin Forehead, Helm, St Agnes – 2005

RNLI Bronze Medal Benjamin Pearson, Helm, North Berwick – 1973 Alexander Russell, crew member, North Berwick – 1973 David Gallichan, Coxswain, Beaumaris – 1982 John Desmond Rogers, Helm, Portaferry – 1983 David L. Steenvoorden, Helm, Cleethorpes – 1990 Ian Sanderson, Helm, Cleethorpes – 2004 Shaun Sonley, crew member, Cleethorpes – 2004 Tony Salters, crew member, Cleethorpes – 2004

The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum C. R. Cole, crew member, Littlehampton – 1970 C. J. Pelham, crew member, Littlehampton – 1970 James Pearson, crew member, North Berwick – 1973 John Charles Askew, Helm, Beaumaris – 1976 David Jones, Helm, Beaumaris – 1978 David William Woollven, Helm, Littlehampton – 1982 William Ellison, crew member, Portaferry – 1983 Francis Rogers, crew member, Portaferry – 1983 Steven A. Burton, crew member, Cleethorpes – 1990 Martin J. Kennedy, crew member, Cleethorpes – 1990 Peter Roberts, crew member, St Agnes – 1996 Andrew Northcote, Helm, St Agnes – 2002 Rory Bushe, crew member, St Agnes – 2005 James Watkins, crew member, St Agnes – 2005 Simon Rogers, Helm, Portaferry – 2006 Stephen Done, Helm, Fishguard – 2007

Vellum Service Certificates John Askew, crew member, Beaumaris – 1978 Simon Dubberley, crew member, Beaumaris – 1978 Dr Jack Dubberley, crew member, Beaumaris – 1978

The Ralph Glister Award 1989 David L. Steenvoorden, Helm, Cleethorpes – 1990 Steven A. Burton, crew member, Cleethorpes – 1990 Martin J. Kennedy, crew member, Cleethorpes – 1990

The Walter and Elizabeth Groombridge Award 2006 Simon Rogers, Helm, Portaferry – 2006 Sinead Breen, Portaferry – 2006 Philip Sands-Robinson, Portaferry – 2006 Andrew Edwards, Portaferry – 2006

A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution Francis George, Coxswain, Fishguard – 1984 Gary Barlow, crew member, Cleethorpes – 1996 Shane Johnson, crew member, Cleethorpes – 1997 Martin Broughton, crew member, Beaumaris – 1998 Rory Bushe, crew members, St Agnes – 2002 Carey Morgan, crew members, St Agnes – 2002 Dr Joanne Boughton, crew member, Fishguard – 2007 Robert Lanham, crew member, Fishguard – 2007

Royal Humane Society Certificate of Commendation Peter David Bliss, Helm, St Agnes – 1983

James Michael Bower Endowment Fund award Gary Barlow, Helm, Cleethorpes – 2004 Gavin Forehead, Helm, St Agnes – 2005

The Daily Express LifeSavers Award from Vodafone 2005 Gavin Forehead, Helm, St Agnes – 2005 Rory Bushe, crew member, St Agnes – 2005 James Watkins, crew member, St Agnes – 2005

A Collective Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution David L. Steenvoorden, Helm, Cleethorpes – 1990 N. Holroyd, Tractor Driver, Cleethorpes – 1990 T. Smith, Launcher, Cleethorpes – 1990 D. W. Richardson, crew member, Cleethorpes – 1990 M. A. Sweeney, crew member, Cleethorpes – 1990 M. J. Kennedy, crew member, Cleethorpes – 1990 M. N. Fowler, crew member, Cleethorpes – 1990 S. A. Burton, crew member, Cleethorpes – 1990 W. J. Barlow, crew member, Cleethorpes – 1990

Blue Peter lifeboat fleet Littlehampton Op.No. Name Class Comments 1967–1972 Now part of the Science Museum Collection (in storage), Wroughton, Wiltshire B-504 Blue Peter I 1972–1973 B-517 Blue Peter I 1973–1974 B-523 Blue Peter I 1974–1985 B-564 Blue Peter I 1985–2001 B-779 Blue Peter I 2002–2016 Later served in the RNLI Relief and Training fleets.

Beaumaris Op.No. Name Class Comments 1967–1976 For many years following retirement, on display at Flambards Theme Park, Cornwall, (now closed). Re-sold in August 2025. B-515 Blue Peter II 1976–1985 B-563 Blue Peter II 1985–2000 B-768 Blue Peter II 2000–2010 At 2010–2011

North Berwick Op.No. Name Class Comments 1967–1973 On display in the RNLI Heritage Collection at Chatham Historic Dockyard D-216 Blue Peter III 1973–1984 D-306 Blue Peter III 1984–1993 D-452 Blue Peter III 1993–2003 D-619 Blue Peter III 2004–2013

St Agnes Op.No. Name Type Comments 1968–1972 D-215 Blue Peter IV 1973–1981 D-179 Blue Peter IV 1981–1984 D-305 Blue Peter IV 1985–1993 D-453 Blue Peter IV 1994–2004 D-641 Blue Peter IV 2005–2015

Portaferry Op.No. Name Class Comments Blue Peter V 1986–1994 B-706 Blue Peter V 1994–2009 B-833 Blue Peter V 2009–

Relief fleet Op.No. Name Class Comments 1987–1994

Cleethorpes Op.No. Name Class Comments 1994–2004 D-618 Blue Peter VI 2004–2012

Fishguard ON Op.No. Name Class Comments 1198 1994–

See also List of RNLI stations List of former RNLI stations Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

Notes

References

External links Littlehampton RNLI Beaumaris RNLI Burry Port RNLI North Berwick RNLI St Agnes RNLI Portaferry RNLI Cleethorpes RNLI Fishguard RNLI