A lifeboat donated by Wolseley UK to lifesaving charity RNLI has already saved 46 lives.
The UK's largest distributor of plumbing and heating products, raised £125,000 to fund the Atlantic 85 lifeboat by encouraging its 15,000 UK employees, customers and suppliers to fundraise.
The lifeboat, named Wolseley, went on service in May and has already saved 46 lives on the North East coast. Wolseley director Paul Gordon named the lifeboat at Sunderland Marina last week.
Sunderland RNLI senior helmsman Paul Nicholson said 'We have already carried out twenty-four rescues in the lifeboat and the increased speed together with the radar and VHF direction-finding equipment have definitely made a difference to our operational effectiveness.
'On behalf of everyone at Sunderland lifeboat station I would like to thank Wolseley for their wonderful fundraising efforts which have resulted in the donation of our very special new lifeboat.'