Lies, damned lies and statistics...

[pvb]

The postman brought me a begging letter today from the Coxswain of the Swanage Lifeboat.

It started off "Last year, our volunteer lifeboatmen and women were called out 8,377 times to help people in danger off our coasts. Most dramatically, the crew of the Swanage lifeboat plucked to safety five people on board Be Happy, a yacht being battered by huge seas in Violent Storm Force 11 winds.

Very impressive stuff, except that the "Be Happy" rescue wasn't last year as he said. It wasn't the year before either. It was in 1996 - yes, 11 years ago.

I don't understand why the RNLI needs to lie in its fundraising. Wasn't there a noteworthy rescue last year? Or anytime in the previous decade? Maybe our seas are safer than they'd have people believe.

 

[tcm]

Ah but that's a different sentence: so it doesn't *inevitably* follow that the plucking of five people from that boat was *also* last year just cos the first two words of the previous sentence says "last year", altho iwill agree it's just loose and inprecise text, conveniently ambiguous. You read it with a rather over-beady and harumphing attitude too i think - so i reckon you oughta send them twenty quid!

 

[Cornishman]

Here, here

 

[billskip]

well said tcm.

Some should remember that the RNLI is not run by the gov. God help us if it were!

Also the boys risk their lives for us for nothing..

Send them 40 squids and be proud that you have donated to a good cause.

Alternativly (I hope not) if they turn up to rescue YOU one day, you tell the boys what you think of the RNlI before they save your life. FOR NOTHING

 

[tcm]

any advance on £40?

well, fair enough billskip, perhaps my suggestion of £20 was a bit mean.

 

[cpedw]

But 30 shouts per day seems a bit excessive?

Derek

 

[snowleopard]

Surely you've been around here long enough to know the RNLI can do no wrong and to imply otherwise invites a lynching.

 

[Cornishman]

Not if you tot up the number of stations, including ILBs, in the UK and the Irish Republic.

 

[Cornishman]

Re: any advance on £40?

Yep, train to be a SEA Check volunteer or offer your services as a fund raiser

 

[MoodySabre]

Obviously a national figure - if that was just Swanage they would be in the water 24 hours a day.

Pay £20 do not pass Go.

 

[tcm]

ah well there you again making rash assumptions - it says they were "called out" eight thousandish times a year, which is not the same thing, is it? Cos perhaps often they'll be called *several* times just for one boat, possibly. And also, with "Mayday mayday mayday" - that's THREE times for starters, see?

 

[billskip]

The letter was obivoisly written for Dyslexics like me to understand! : /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

I think "called out 8377 times around our coast" means around GB not just Swanage.

Swanage just made a reminder of a major incident they attended.

It seems that if your not Dislexic and unable to interpret the letter ...then donate 60 squids to the RNLI for help from the forum to explain their letter.

Any advance on 60 TCM?

 

[Twister_Ken]

I'm on pvb's side. Deliberately misleading.

They'll be asking for new oars for their lifeboats if they go back much further.

 

[lw395]

I might be persuaded to give them a little more if their office building wasn't so big with so many flash cars in the car park!
all charities are very big business nowadays!

 

[ShipsWoofy]

[ QUOTE ]
I might be persuaded to give them a little more if their office building wasn't so big with so many flash cars in the car park!
all charities are very big business nowadays!

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh no, it's up to £80 now!

 

[wooslehunter]

OK back on the soap box again. Don't forget that altough the RNLI do a great job saving life and vessels, they are not the only people running lifeboats.

There are plenty of independant boats around the country: see here and here.

They are normally "Declared Resources" to HMCG and called out by HMCG working in the same way as any other lifeboat.

In 2006, GAFIRS based in Stokes Bay really were called out 124 times, 20 during Cowes week and 10 during 1 day. 2 of the people rescued during the "10 call day" were reported at exactly the same time on different yachts side by side & both with head injuries. They have published their annual report on their web site which makes interesting reading. These are all real statistics and fully documented in the report.

All of these organisations are self funded and don't have a high profile created by a well staffed national fund raising organisation. In fact the busiest stretch of water in the UK ( possibly the EU or even the world) has more independants than RNLI.

Hopps off the soapbox.

 

[Bilgediver]

There are plenty of independant boats around the country: see here and here.
.................................................................................


And don't forget that the RNLI ribs originated from one of these independants and was initially developed by Atlantic College in South Wales who operate in the LLantwit MAjor Hence its name!!!!.

 

[tcm]

£100 rien ne va plus

seems fair, and very reasonable donation for pvb to make under the circumstances.

 

[Sybarite]

Fat cats....

Based on their 2005 accounts the RNLI have total reserves of £483.5 million and their operating budget was £131m with operating revenues being some £128m. Their staff bill was nearly £41m.

They have 233 stations, made some 8000 launches and assisted some 8000 persons.

It is interesting to compare these figures with the French equivalent: the SNSM (Société Nationale de Sauvetage en Mer). For 2003 they had some 5000 launches to assist some 10000 persons and they have 232 stations of 58 are seasonal.

The first thing to strike me was that the RNLI have approximately the same number of people earning over £50000 (33) as the TOTAL employed by the SNSM (40 of whom 6 are mechanics employed at the service centre). The RNLI employed 1248 people and the top earning person was in the £120-130k bracket. The President of the SNSM is a volunteer. Their annual operating budget is approx £8m of which 45% represents donations by the public.

Completely different approach n'est-ce pas?

John

 

[billskip]

Re: Fat cats....

John.

As I said in another post- please discuss your post with the boys that are going out and risking their lives to save someone (Maybe you) for free.

one has a choice of making a donation..the boys that go out on a "shout" dont even consider a choice.

I think you should direct your energy and thought toward accounts in the IRS tax and goverment where we dont have a choice to pay.

people spend more money on gambling; lottery, ge gees,etc

when anyone goes to sea thay are taking a risk (gamble) but its my guess that winning a rescue is better odds than the lottery at 14000000 to 1


Critisize the RNLI,s wealth all you like (and maybe you have reason) But one thing is for sure the working end of the system (the boys that go out) are at the ready and go.

Thats more than what you can say for some of the services that are on offer from the gov, that you have to pay tax! Police, teachers,firemen,garbage collectors,etc-- strikes, go slow, work to rule,etc.

But not the RNLI rescue boys!