Over the next two years, Ørsted will provide more than £140,000 to help the charity in its mission to save lives at sea.
The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea and its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service across the British Isles.
Established in 2015, the partnership previously focused on supporting seven individual lifeboat stations in areas where Ørsted operates its offshore windfarms and is now evolving to support even more lifeboat stations.
The new look partnership will now focus on providing regional support covering a total of 80 RNLI stations across the East, West and North of England in addition to the Isle of Man and Wales. It will allow these stations to bid for funding for projects the RNLI has identified as being of greatest need, ensuring that funds are used where they will be most impactful.
To date the partnership has helped to fund 1,831 launches and aid more than 3,395 people at sea, with 127 lives being saved.
Ørsted also sponsored the RNLI’s Gala Dinner on the Isle of Man on Friday 25th October, which marks the end of a year of 200th anniversary celebrations for the charity.
Benj Sykes, Head of Environment, Consents and External Affairs at Ørsted, said: “Ørsted is committed to making a lasting and positive impact in the communities where we operate, so we’re excited to announce the next phase of our long-running and successful partnership with the RNLI. As the global leader in offshore wind, we understand the challenges of working in often tough conditions and safety is at the core of our work. We have tremendous respect for the volunteers and crews that dedicate their time to providing an invaluable service around the country. We hope our ongoing support will help them continue their vital work.”
Steve Hulbert, RNLI Senior Partnerships Manager, said: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with Ørsted. We have valued their support since 2015 and we are excited to extend the support they provide to more lifeboat stations. As a charity which relies on donations to carry out our lifesaving work, we couldn’t do what we do without partners such as Ørsted.”
Ørsted currently has 12 operational offshore wind farms in the UK with a further five projects in construction or development – Hornsea 3, Hornsea 4, Mooir Vannin, Stromar and Salamander.
