RNLI

[grob]

Four facts you may not know about the RNLI.

1.As our use of the sea for pleasure increases so to do the demands on the RNLI, 2005 was again the busiest year in its history in many regions.

2.For the last 4 financial years the RNLI has received less income than the cost of its lifesaving operations.

3.Income from donations and legacies is not keeping up with the increasing demand for services.

4.The RNLI likes to operate with 3 years of reserves. In 2000 the RNLI had sufficient reserves to sustain 4.5 years of operations and was considered to be a wealthy charity. However as of Jan this year the free reserves will sustain only eleven months of operations.

I was shocked by this last fact and believe this is the strongest argument why we must do more this year than we have done in the past.


For this reason on April 23rd 2006 I will be running in the London Marathon on behalf of the RNLI.

Until Xmas I hadn't run more than 3 miles in one go in the last 20 years. The training is going well I am up to 10 miles now and will be doing the Brighton half marathon next weekend.

If anyone is as suprised as I was about the RNLI facts presented above, then please support me by visiting my web site www.runfortheboat.co.uk, you can donate online using http://www.justgiving.com/runfortheboat, or just email me a pledge at gareth@runfortheboat.co.uk.

Remember by giving to the RNLI using the justgiving site you can raise an extra 28p in the pound through gift aid. So it is just about the best way to donate.

All the best

Gareth Roberts

 

[Thistle]

Welcome to the forums and happy running?

I wonder if YBW will give you a special donation for starting the 25000th thread on this forum?

 

[grob]

[ QUOTE ]
Welcome to the forums and happy running?

I wonder if YBW will give you a special donation for starting the 25000th thread on this forum?

[/ QUOTE ]

25000th thats quite an honour, I was expecting a hard time as its not usually good for a first post to be asking for money /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Gareth

 

[Poignard]

Well it would be awful if RNLI ever folded as they are a great outfit, staffed by courageous people and it' s comforting to know they are there as a last resort.

However, do they take enough care to keep their costs down? I ask as one who was once crewing on a yacht that was subjected to a well-intentioned but completely uneccessary and uncalled for "rescue".

 

[Evadne]

If its alright with you (or not /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif ) I'd like to seperate the two issues of whether the RNLI has enough funds to survive and how well the RNLI management are doing to help themselves. I know they're not inextricable, but us yotties only have a measure control over one of these aspects.

Like a lot of people on the roads of Britain, I am a member of a rescue organisation that costs me in the region of £100 per annum. Again, like the majority of road users, I can count the time since I used it in decades rather than months, but their maintaining a backup for me "24/7" is something I consider it worthwhile to pay up for.

In the same line of reasoning, my wife and I hold joint Offshore membership. They do a good job and somebody has to pay for it. I'm one of those somebodies. If everone who sails "a hole in the water into which you pour money" donated the cost of two cans of antifoul per year to the RNLI, their financial troubles would be over. Just remember, more money goes into the RNLI from non-seafarers than from us.

Then we can get back to arguing over what a lot of wasteful buggers they are. The alternative is a future of a state-run bailed-out NLI, with all the inevitable cutbacks and management bullshit that goes with the territory. Just imagine the traffic warden equivalent of "Lifeboat Stan" (Wreckless Rita?) peering over your guardrail and you'll get my drift.

 

[pvb]

Facts...

Whilst I don't for a minute dispute the fact that the RNLI does a sterling job, the real "Facts" are open to considerable interpretation. For example, you state that "For the last 4 financial years the RNLI has received less income than the cost of its lifesaving operations." According to the latest published accounts, the RNLI's reserves actually increased by £22.9million in 2003 and increased again in 2004 by £8.6million - so realistically there must have been more coming in than going out!

As regards your fact that "as of Jan this year the free reserves will sustain only eleven months of operations", this may well be true, but "free reserves" is only one of the many categories of reserves the RNLI uses in its accounting. The RNLI is an expensive outfit. Each year, it costs about £130million to run; that's about £100million for the actual rescue service plus about £30million to run the fundraising and merchandising operations. But total reserves at the end of 2004 were £481million, so unless 2005 was catastrophic the RNLI isn't quite destitute yet. Many charities can only dream of being in such a healthy state.

Nevertheless, I'm sure forumites will applaud your fundraising efforts and wish you well with your training. Please take a moment after the London Marathon to post a note letting everyone know how your appeal went.

 

[LORDNELSON]

I agree, those of us who can afford it should be offshore members. I do not think any of us would like to see the RNLI transformed into a government outfit. Those with spare times on their hands might like to offer their services to the RNLI to help analyse their operational expenses and offer advice.

 

[sailorman]

welcome & good luck in the Marathon


[is not keeping up with the increasing demand for services.]

who does the Demanding i wonder.

the service is self proliferating as the Building societies used to be. never allowed to make a profit, but wasted one hell of a lot of money building empires.
fww i am a life governor

 

[graham]

I do agree that the RNLI appears to spend money like theres no tommorow.

If the alternative is a government organization which would be 1,inefficient and 2,used as a political football then personally I hope the RNLI continues its fine tradition.

Good Luck with the run.

 

[Otter]

Good luck in the marathon. But I agree with all the above posts. Putting something into the collecting tin is absolutely no substitute for joining 'Offshore'.

How I had the brass neck to go sailing with the means to call out the RNLI, but without actually forking out to join, is a real embarrassment.

 

[macd]

Hope you're in good shape. It'd be a bummer if you had to call out St John's, then feel obliged to do another marathon for them.
Seriously, good luck.

 

[Poignard]

[ QUOTE ]
alternative is a future of a state-run bailed-out RNLI,

[/ QUOTE ]

Questioning RNLI expenditure seems to be akin to criticising motherhood and apple pie!

I do hope you are not suggesting that I am in favour of the state running the RNLI. I can assure you that am not in favour of the state running anything at all if it can possibly be avoided. I'm all in favour of those who use a service paying for it.

Meanwhile, let's just hope that the generous "non-seafarers" don't find out part of their contributions goes towards paying for wealthy yachtowners and Captain Calamitys to be recued.

 

[DinghyMan]

You will find that St John Ambulance don't cover most events without charging - when I was in there was a standard book (purple book?) stating exactly what vehicles and people were needed for an event based on risk assessment and standard charges per person, vehicle type etc. Some events were covered "for a donation" but most were on a standard charge basis.

Also St John were another organisation that sat on a lot of money and made it difficult to spend it

 

[pvb]

But they have a sense of humour...

The St John website currently has a feature on "A Date with Danger: First Aid pitfalls on Valentines day".

 

[isha]

Twisterowner
Are you aware that the great majority of lifeboat shouts are at the request of the Coastguard to 'launch the Lifeboat'. i.e. the RNLI launch by invitation as it were. On only a few occasions does the lifeboat 'self launch'.
Regards
Dave

 

[Poignard]

I stand corrected and abashed. Please lift the fat-wa.

 

[graham]

behead anyone who critisizes the RNLI. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Poignard]

I had a nightmare last night where my boat was sinking and the lifeboat came alongside and her coxswain said "You're not that bloody Twisterowner are you". At that point I woke up screaming "No. My name's Ken!"
[With apologies to Twisterken]

 

[grob]

As the big race is next month I thought Id post a reminder and update.

My training is going well I completed the Brighton half marathon a couple of weeks ago and have my first 16 miler tomorow.

The fundraising is also going well as a I have just topped the £1000 mark /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Its not to late to sponsor me, see www.runfortheboat.co.uk

Thanks

Gareth