About Us
We are an independent lifeboat charity and are therefore not part of the RNIL. All our funding is raised by the generosity of the public, by events ran by the crew or by companies providing much needed financial support towards funding of equipment and supporting events. Even though we are not part of the RNLI we are proud to work alongside them to ensure the best possible outcome is achieved from a tasking.
We are a registered charity No. 1082443
> Independent Lifeboat
Our primary objective is to safeguard the lives of people on and around the Felixstowe coastline.
To fulfil this objective, we ensure that we are trained, equipped and ready to attend all types of incidents as quickly as possible
> Our mission
Our motto is ‘In Salutem Omnium’ which means ‘For the Safety of All’. This is instilled into everything we do as a charity and this includes the safety of our crew and team as well as the public.
> Our motto
Formed in 1997, Felixstowe Lifeboat is an independent lifeboat charity run solely by a team of dedicated local volunteers and funded by generous donations from the public.
In 2025 Felixstowe Lifeboat became a declared search and rescue (SAR) facility. A declared facility is a trusted rescue organisation or asset officially recognised and tasked by national authorities (such as HM Coastguard in the UK) to respond to emergencies.
Felixstowe Lifeboat is a proud founding member of the National Independent Lifeboat Association (NILA).
> What we do
Our Lifeboat is called Last Orders.
Last Orders is an ocean-going Humber RIB fitted with twin Suzuki outboard engines and all of the required navigation and safety equipment.
We deal with marine safety incidents either as we come across them or when we are tasked to them by other agencies. We work closely with HM Coastguard, Suffolk Constabulary, East of England Ambulance Service, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service and the RNLI, albeit we are completely independent and funded by donations. Our volunteers regularly attend first aid incidents, broken down vessels and swimmers in distress.
When not on operational deployments, our crews also visit local schools and other groups to promote sea safety and responsible use of the water.