Frequently asked questions

You can include up to 10 names in a single form submission, and feel free to submit the form as many times as you'd like.

To make the process even smoother, we currently cannot accept joint names like 'The Smiths' or 'John and Joan Smith'. Please add each name separately.

In general, names will be arranged in the order we receive them from supporters, but they’ll also be arranged in a way that best fits the shape of the decal. Multiple names submitted together are not guaranteed to be together in the decal.

If you’d like to request that names within your submission are kept together, please email us at [email protected], and we will do our best to accommodate this – but this is not guaranteed.

The name will appear within the decal that forms the letters and numbers on the lifeboat, either on the side of the lifeboat or the wheelhouse (top of the lifeboat).

We can accept:

• More than one name per form submission. The online form allows up to 10 individual names to be added in one submission.
• Middle names - for example 'John David Smith'.
• Titles - for example 'Captain John Smith'.

We are unable to accept:

• Joint names - for example 'The Smiths', 'John and Joan Smith' or 'John & Joan Smith'. If your submission includes joint names, we'll get in touch to arrange an alternative solution.
• Names that include special characters - for example 'John Smith!'
• Submissions that have additional information such as numbers and locations - for example 'John Smith Swanage 1952'.
• The name of a group or company - for example 'Swanage RNLI Swimmers'.

View the full terms and conditions.

Although Launch a Memory was created for supporters to remember loved ones no longer with us, we now have lots of supporters who also add the names of people still with us. We have had supporters add someone's name for a birthday present, an anniversary and even a wedding gift!

Feel free to add:

• The name of a loved one you miss and wish to remember.
• The name of a special family member or friend who is still with us.
• Your name.
• The names of a couple for an anniversary or wedding gift. Please add as two separate names (you will receive two separate certificates).
• The name of a beloved pet.

If you are donating in celebration of someone special rather than in remembrance, once you have submitted your own name(s), you'll be given the opportunity to request a celebratory certificate through our Launch a Memory inbox. Please email [email protected] with your request.

We appreciate your willingness to donate! However, we are currently unable to accept online donations from individuals who are not in the UK or Ireland. 

To make your donation and add your name, please contact our Supporter Experience Team on 0300 300 9905.

As well as your loved one's name on the lifeboat, you'll receive:

• a personalised digital certificate, one per name submitted, to print and proudly display
• regular email updates (every 6-8 weeks)
• a link to an online 'name finder'
• access to a retail range specifically for your Launch a Memory lifeboat
• a link to a special Swanage lifeboat dedications page.

We have decided to increase the suggested donation to add a name to £75/€75. This has been based on careful consideration of the resources and costs required, including looking at the average donation amount received during previous campaigns, and surveying previous Launch a Memory donors.

The costs of running our lifesaving service are rising. Essentials like fuel, energy and kit are becoming significantly more expensive – meaning every pound or euro donated now buys less than it did before. This increase will help to cover the growing costs of funding our lifesaving service.

We understand that everyone is experiencing increases in the cost of living and we are immensely grateful to our supporters, who already do so much for the RNLI and who have continued to support the RNLI through challenging times. Without their support, our lifesavers could not rescue the thousands of people who need our help each year. It's important to note that the suggested donation amount is not mandatory or binding. You have the freedom to contribute any amount you feel comfortable with and can afford.

Unfortunately not. You are responsible for checking the name before submitting it to ensure that it is spelled correctly, contains the correct details, and is submitted as you wish the name to appear on the decal of the lifeboat. Once the submission is made, changes cannot be accommodated, so it's crucial to review the information thoroughly before finalising the entry. Please take the time to verify all details to avoid any potential discrepancies on the lifeboat decal.

One final email will be sent for you to check the name. We cannot accommodate name changes, such as replacing the name submitted with someone else's name, or changes to names based on preferences such as nicknames or new marital names. This is because there are so many names to manage and arrange. This is why it is so important to check the name at the point of submission.

Swanage is a working lifeboat station; we kindly ask that you don’t contact the station directly or turn up hoping to see the lifeboat.

If you have any queries about Launch a Memory, please read our FAQs, email [email protected] or call our Supporter Experience Team on 0300 300 9905. Any opportunities to see the lifeboat in the future will be communicated to supporters by email, and on the Launch a Memory Swanage updates page.

You should receive your confirmation email to the email address you provided to us within 24 hours, although usually you'll receive it within a few hours. Your certificate will be sent in a separate email.

If you haven’t received a confirmation email within 24 hours and have checked your junk and spam folders, please contact us by emailing [email protected] or phoning our Supporter Experience Team on 0300 300 9905 (from the UK), 01 511 9871 (from Ireland) or +44 1202 336395 (from any other country).

You will only receive a certificate if you provide us with your email address when submitting your loved one's name. The certificate email will arrive separately to the confirmation email.

We aim to send out all certificates within 72 hours of the submission. We send these certificates out by email, as PDF attachments. These often end up in spam or junk folders.

If you still have not received your certificate after 72 hours, please contact us by emailing [email protected] or phoning our Supporter Experience Team on 0300 300 9905 (from the UK), 01 511 9871 (from Ireland) or (+)44 1202 336395 (from any other country).

The campaign will run until spring 2026, to allow us to collect as many names as possible.

The names will be added in summer 2026 and, rest assured, all supporters will receive updates by email as the campaign progresses.

For the latest news and further details, you can also visit the Swanage updates page.

Thank you for your support!

The numbers and letters that will be made up of loved ones' names are called decals. We are hopeful to have on-site decal replicas that will allow you to see your loved one’s name, although we can’t guarantee this at this stage. If you gave us your email address when sharing your loved one’s name, we will let you know about any updates - including the opportunity to search and see your loved one's name on an online version of the decal.

Once you've made your donation and submitted your chosen name(s) and the campaign closes, we'll keep you informed about the possibility of attending an event in Poole, Dorset, to visit the lifeboat. But this is yet to be confirmed and subject to availability.

We will also let you know about any opportunities to see the lifeboat In Swanage in the future. We kindly ask that you don't contact the station directly about Launch a Memory or arrive hoping to see the lifeboat.

If you have any questions about your lifeboat, please contact [email protected].

Unfortunately, no. We anticipate there will be more supporters wishing to attend a viewing event than we can cater for, so we have to limit the number of tickets available. If we could give tickets to all of you, we would. But to be able to run the event successfully and safely, we are bound by venue capacity and health and safety considerations.

When the window for ticket applications opens, tickets will be available for timed slots on a first come, first served basis. You may buy up to two tickets, per name submitted, up to a maximum of 8 tickets. There are so many supporters, like you, who want to see the lifeboat that we think a maximum of two tickets per name is reasonable, and we hope you do too.

There may be other opportunities to see your loved one’s name on the lifeboat in future, although we can’t make any promises about that because it depends on various factors.

Thank you for your support and understanding. You’ll find more information about Launch a Memory viewing events in our terms and conditions.

Your Launch a Memory donation will be used to help save lives wherever the need is greatest. From educating children about water safety, to the equipment that lifeguards use to save lives. From the lifeboats that provide beacons of hope to people in distress, to the training that brings their volunteer crews safely home. So whether it’s at Swanage or Mudeford, you can be proud of the lives your donation to Launch a Memory is helping to save.

The Shannon class lifeboat has been an essential lifesaver in Swanage since it arrived at the station in 2016. During its first 9 years of service, it has launched 337 times, saved 18 lives, aided 435 people, and spent 686 hours at sea. The unwavering support of our community is deeply appreciated in making this possible.

*Statistics correct April 2025

Possible Launch a Memory lifeboat stations are presented by our Operations Team, which then go through an analysis to select the next Launch a Memory lifeboat. This analysis includes a review of the lifeboat, station, location accessibility, station tours and visit opportunities, and operational considerations.

While we cannot guarantee anything yet, we anticipate the upcoming Launch a Memory boat arriving 2026. Stay tuned for forthcoming announcements.

We have web pages dedicated to the updates of each of the previous Launch a Memory lifeboats - Invergordon, Clifden, Wells, Anstruther, Whitby, Eric's Legend 13-40 and Exmouth.

• Invergordon updates
• Clifden updates
• Wells updates
• Anstruther updates
• Whitby updates
• Eric's Legend updates
• Exmouth updates.