Chiswick RNLI Receives Unusual Donation

Mortlake Crematorium contributes revenue from metal recycling

A cheque for £8,500 was presented to the lifeboat station . Picture: RNLI/David Clarke

April 28, 2026

Chiswick RNLI has received an unexpected and unusually sourced donation from Mortlake Crematorium, after the crematorium’s manager reached out late last year with an offer that took the lifeboat station by surprise. In December 2025, a message arrived “out of the blue” asking whether the station would be willing to be a nominated charity for a forthcoming contribution generated through the crematorium’s metal recycling scheme.

Crematorium Manager Natasha Bradshaw explained that the initiative uses the proceeds from the recycling of metals recovered after cremation, a practice that has become increasingly common across Europe. As she noted when presenting the donation, these metals were historically buried, “placing metals into the ground that remain forever,” but high-grade materials can instead be smelted down and reused, reducing the need for new non-renewable metal ores. Crucially, metals are only recycled with the explicit consent of bereaved families.

The scheme is run under the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management, whose members have collectively distributed £21 million to charities this year alone. The model is based on a long-established European programme initiated by the Royal Dutch Cremation Federation, and Mortlake Crematorium has been an active participant, directing funds to organisations working in the local community.

Given Chiswick RNLI’s constant presence on the Thames beside Mortlake Cemetery and Crematorium, Ms Bradshaw felt the lifeboat station was a natural choice. On Monday 27 April, the lifeboat crew brought their E-class vessel alongside to receive the donation of £8,500. Station Manager Andy Mayo, crew member Tor Gullan, and Lifeboat Management Group chair John Soones met Bradshaw on the riverbank to thank her for the contribution, which will support the RNLI’s search and rescue operations on the tidal Thames.

The donation comes at a time when the scale of the station’s work continues to grow. Chiswick RNLI is the second busiest lifeboat station in the UK and Ireland. Since the RNLI established its dedicated Thames service in 2002, the Chiswick crew has attended more than 5,000 incidents and rescued over 2,500 people. Every launch, rescue and training hour is funded entirely by public donations, making contributions such as Mortlake Crematorium’s both vital and deeply appreciated.

Chiswick RNLI will be relocating to a new permanent base in Wandsworth later this year. The move is designed to improve operational coverage across the central stretch of the Thames, with the new site offering upgraded facilities and improved access for rapid deployment. While the station’s name will change, its commitment to the communities along the river — including Chiswick, Mortlake — remains unchanged.