During January and February, the RNLI Heritage Project are sharing ‘Stories of Courage 1939-45’ at The Lighthouse in Poole.  The exhibition will be a collection of stories about the charity during World War 2 as well as raising awareness about its work.

Margate crew wearing Brodie helmets during the Second World War (RNLI)

RNLI Heritage Project ‘Stories of Courage, 1939 – 1945’  will be open at The Lighthouse in Poole from Thursday 15th January 2026  – Saturday 28th February 2026. On display will be rarely viewed artwork and artefacts from the RNLI’s heritage collections which help us tell the story of how volunteer crews continued to save lives at sea during the Second World War.

There will be a children’s activity trail and additional events, including accessible sessions and half-term activities to help bring the stories to life for everyone. There’s also a new podcast to listen to called Stories of Courage.

RNLI Stories of Courage 1939-45 is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund and thanks to National Lottery players, RNLI Heritage Project are able to gather and share these memories.

Alison, Heritage Project Officer, said ‘By joining CAN’s networks I have been able to share opportunities for local support and disability groups to arrange visits to the exhibition with adjustments to make it an accessible experience. This has really helped to spread the word about the Project and I am really grateful to the CAN team for their support. I think their networks are such a wonderful support to have in the community and I am glad to be a part of them.’

For more information, visit RNLI.org/Exhibition