September 2007
Staithes & Runswick RNLI receives £160,000 legacy

An East Cleveland woman has left the RNLI at Staithes a& Runswick more than £160,000 in her will.

Mrs Mary Harper from Loftus died in January this year at the age of 87. She left a quarter of her estate to Staithes & Runswick RNLI lifeboat station – a total of £165,000.

The legacy will cover running costs at the lifeboat station for almost three years.

Unfortunately we know very little about Mrs Harper but I understand she was a long-time supporter of the RNLI. We’ve also been told she was a bit of a character, and lived very modestly.

The legacy was a complete surprise. Everyone is extremely grateful to Mrs Harper for her generosity, which will keep our lifeboat station running for the next three years. As a charity, the RNLI relies on legacies and donations for its funding and without people like Mrs Harper we would be unable to carry on saving lives at sea.

— Lee Jackson, a Staithes Lifeboat Helmsman

Six out of ten lifeboat launches are made possible because of legacy gifts.
If you would like to find out more about supporting the RNLI:
phone 0161 7878779 or log on to www.rnli.org.uk

Back to top