Throw out a lifeline (RNLI Royal National Lifeboat Institution)

Member Name: robinlawrie

Product:	RNLI Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Date:	21/08/01 (87 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Obvious

Disadvantages: None

It may have escaped your notice, but we live on an island, and are surrounded by some of the most treacherous waters imaginable. We are historically a nation of seafarers, so it is natural that should anyone approaching our shores find themselves in trouble, they will be met by the bravest that this country can offer Just stop and think for a moment, what the outcome of having no maritime rescue organisation would be. We rely totally on the resources of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, which is a charitable organisation. It provides a 24-hour service, and gives search and rescue coverage to anyone within 50 miles of our coastline.

In order to give the coverage required, the RNLI has at present 224 lifeboat stations, which are equipped with either inflatables or fully equipped all-weather “Severn” lifeboats. The cost of one of these Severn boats, fully equipped is a staggering £1,816,500. The RNLI has a fleet of 309 lifeboats, and a relief fleet, comprising of 110 additional lifeboats.

Since its foundation in 1824, the RNLI has saved over 134,000 lives. Last year alone (2000) there were 4,500 launches bringing ashore 3,245 people ashore and 595 lives saved. In an average year, lifeboats launch over 6,500 times and bring assistance to over 6,500 people.

The RNLI depends entirely on voluntary contributions and legacies for its income. The actual cost of launching a lifeboat is relatively small, but when all the costs of running a lifeboat station are taken into consideration such as maintenance and necessary stores etc, the average cost of launching a lifeboat rises to £5,800 for an all-weather lifeboat and £2,200 for an inflatable. These figures do not include the cost of depreciation of the lifeboats.

The crews of the lifeboats are all volunteers, and Included in the total of 4,500 volunteer crew members are over 240 women. These people come from all possible walks of life imaginable, an
d are totally dedicated to the task of saving life at sea. Much of their spare time is taken up with training and lectures. Backing them up is a dedicated shore team whose job it is to page and launch the lifeboat and get it underway as quickly as possible. Supporting this team is the local branch, which is responsible for fundraising, without which there would be no lifeboat at all. At the RNLI headquarters is a final team who ensure that all necessary supplies are readily available. This can mean anything from an enormous Caterpillar engine, to nuts, bolts and screws.

They have an excellent friendly website at http://www.rnli.org.uk/ which gives the full history of the organisation and an up to date appraisal of rescues. There is a scrolling line of text, which gives information of launches from the previous day. Apart from details of the latest fundraising attractions around the coast, there are three main sections to the site, and are as follows:

•RNLI in action
Everything from a brief history of the organisation and site map of the stations around the coastline, to their latest commercial “What is it really like to crew a lifeboat?”
•Waves.
News, Weather Guides, Training and FAQ’s are here plus a great offer to the public called “ SEA Check” Do you have a small boat? (under 13.7 metres) “SEA Check” is a free service offered by the RNLI, and is a health check of your boat's safety equipment by a trained volunteer. More details of this and other safety matters can be found here.
•RNLI in your area
Latest news, local fundraising events, plus stations and branches of the RNLI in each region, are shown in detail.

For the youngsters, there is a section called “Stormforce” which offers membership of the RNLI for young people. There are bags of competitions and games here. There is also the usual facility to purchase goods from the RNLI,
and from personal experience I can vouch for the quality and value of them.

The RNLI needs help. They need you to throw them a lifeline just as they throw one to sailors in peril. Visit the RNLI at their website and see if you can do something to help. I am not suggesting that you actually don oilskins in person, but perhaps you can assist in fundraising or even make a donation. At the very least, the next time you see someone in the street collecting for the RNLI, put a little extra in the box and wear your paper lifeboat with pride.

Summary: