Stories can save lives.
When someone tells you a story you connect with it. “What would I do in that situation?” “How would I react?” “That could’ve been me”.
To find out how we can help your team tell great stories, request a consultation here.
Great storytelling has the power to transport you to somewhere else. Make you relive memories you hadn’t thought of in years or transport you to the future, to “what if” situations.
The RNLI is using stories it to save lives. Through their campaigns, they are telling true stories to help others. They make you stop and listen. They stir emotion and bring you into the story. Through their work, the RNLI are demonstrating the true power of storytelling.
Respect the Water
Respect the Water is one of the RNLI’s largest yearly campaigns. Now in its fifth year the campaign offers advice for people who find themselves in difficulty while in the water.
While offering practical advice and training sessions on how to manage when in difficulty, the RNLI is also using stories to highlight their campaign.
They have gathered testimonials from people in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Some have happy endings, where people used RNLI promoted techniques to save their lives, while others do not.
The RNLI have also partnered with the GAA to help promote their message.
The campaign this year will see RNLI volunteers visit GAA clubs to share drowning prevention advice with young players.
Speaking about the campaign, RNLI Lifesaving Manager Sean Dillon said: ‘We need to talk directly to people, especially our young people to make them aware of risks and also to know what to do. We must all keep sharing lifesaving advice.’
Float to Live
“Give yourself a floating chance”. That is the main message from the RNLI Respect the Water campaign.
Float to live encourages you to fight the shock of the cold water, fight your instinct to swim, pause, and float on your back until you are able to catch your breath.
To demonstrate the importance of their message, the RNLI are sharing the stories of others who have used the technique and survived.
The stories are powerful. Real footage of the incidents and the narration of the people themselves bring the story to life. It brings you to the place they were in and the emotion they were feeling.
The stories not only demonstrate how the techniques can help save your life, they also show how the work on the RNLI is resonating with people.
The RNLI have recognised that people listen to people. If you hear a story from someone just like you, you listen. You take on board what they are saying.
The RNLI know this and use everyday people to tell their stories. It is these stories that resonate, that capture attention and that we will remember.
