The untold stories behind hundreds of life-or-death rescues on the River Thames are coming to Haslemere this March.

The Rotary Club of Haslemere is inviting the local community to a special “Welcome to All” evening featuring a fascinating talk on the lifesaving work of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

The event will take place at Haslewey Community Centre, opposite Tesco, on Wednesday, March 4, with doors opening at 7pm for a 7.30pm start. The guest speaker will be Stephen Wheatley, a long-serving RNLI volunteer, who will share insight into the extraordinary rescue operations carried out on the River Thames.

RNLI lifeboat cover on the Thames was introduced in January 2001 following a government request prompted by the tragic Marchioness and Bowbelle disaster of 1989, in which 51 people lost their lives. It marked the first time the RNLI was asked to provide a dedicated search and rescue service on a river rather than coastal or estuarial waters.

Stephen joined the RNLI in 2005 and went on to complete more than 480 twelve-hour shifts, responding to over 400 emergency call-outs. At least eight of these incidents were officially recorded as lives saved by the RNLI and His Majesty’s Coastguard. He retired from operational duty in 2025 at the age of 70, exactly 20 years after his first shift.

His dedication has been recognised with the Queen’s Diamond and Platinum Jubilee Medals, the King’s Coronation Medal, and through his tireless fundraising efforts — including running the London Marathon in full protective gear, raising more than £70,000 for the RNLI. Stephen remains an active volunteer at Tower Lifeboat Station.

Tickets cost £10 per person and include a Ploughman’s Supper Box, with a cash bar available. All profits will be donated to the RNLI. Tickets are available online at https://buytickets.at/haslemererotarycio/2064847