Colonel William A. Phillips

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest of the lifeboat services operating around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways.

Founded in 1824 as the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, it soon afterwards became the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck under the patronage of King George IV. On 5 October 1854, the institution's name was changed to its current name (RNLI), and in 1860 was granted a royal charter.

The RNLI is a charity in the UK and in the Republic of Ireland and has enjoyed royal patronage since its foundation, the most recent being Queen Elizabeth II until her death in 2022. The RNLI is principally funded by legacies (65%) and donations (28%), with the remainder from merchandising and investment. Most of the members of its lifeboat crews are unpaid volunteers.

The RNLI is based in Poole, Dorset. It has 238 lifeboat stations and operates 444 lifeboats. RNLI lifeguards operate on more than 200 beaches: the lifeguards are paid by local authorities, but the RNLI provides equipment and training. The institution also operates flood rescue teams nationally and internationally, the latter prepared to travel to emergencies overseas at short notice.

Considerable effort is put into training and education by the institution, particularly for young people; in 2013, more than 6,000 children a week were spoken to by education volunteers about sea and beach safety, and over 800 children a week received training. Crews rescued on average 22 people a day in 2015. The institution has saved some 140,000 lives since its foundation, at a cost of more than 600 lives lost in service.

History

Shipwrecks on the coast of the Isle of Man in 1822 inspired local resident and philanthropist William Hillary to "appeal to the British nation" to establish "a national institution for the preservation of life and property from shipwreck". Initially he received little response from the Admiralty, however George Hibbert, a merchant, and Thomas Wilson, a Member of Parliament, helped to bring support from some influential people including King George IV and other royalty, leading politicians and merchants. A public meeting was convened at the London Tavern on 4 March 1824, chaired by the Archbishop of Canterbury. A resolution was passed to form the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck.[Note 1][5]

Memorial in Douglas, Isle of Man to the lifeboat rescue of the sailors from the St George in 1830

The institution's committee set itself three objectives:[6]

  1. To award medals and/or cash to those involved in rescuing people from shipwrecks.
  2. To provide Captain Manby's line-throwing mortars to all coastguard and lifeboat stations.
  3. To provide lifeboats to as many places on the coast as possible.

A committee was formed to examine different types of lifeboats. An 'unimmergible' based on a 1785 patent by Lionel Lukin continued to be built but was heavy and expensive. A lighter boat designed by George Palmer became the standard design until the 1850s.[7]

In 1824, the year it was founded, the RNIPLS raised £9,706 but the funds soon dwindled. By 1835 annual income was down to just £806 and during the 1840s no appeals were made to the public for new funds.[8][9]

Financial improvement

By 1850, annual income had dropped to £354[8] but a new committee then started to turn around the Institution and appointed Richard Lewis as Secretary. Over the next 33 years he travelled around the country used his skills to increase the funds:[10]by 1859 annual receipts had climbed to over £10,000 and by 1882 they reached £43,117.[8]

Other changes saw 4th Duke of Northumberland's appointed the president in 1851 while well-meaning dukes and archbishops on the committee were replaced by experienced naval officers who bought more rigour to its operations. Captain John Ross Ward was appointed Inspector of Lifeboats[10] and was responsible for the design and introduction of cork lifejackets for lifeboat volunteers.[11]

ON440 RNLB Licensed Victuallers III, a standard self-righter built in 1900

The Duke of Northumberland instigated a competition to design a "pulling and sailing" lifeboat that could use both oars and sails so they operated further from their stations. 280 entries were received and the self-righter by James Beeching considered the best but James Peake, a master shipwright at the Royal Woolwich Dockyard, was asked by the RNLI to develop the design further in 1851.[12] Peake-designed lifeboats and improved versions were the preferred choice for both new and replacement boats at most stations until the 1890s and beyond.[13]

The lifeboats operated by other local committees under the Duke of Northumberland were transferred to the RNIPLS and in 1854 an arrangement was made with the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Benevolent Society (SFMBS). The RNIPLS would concentrate on saving lives while the SFMBS would look after people who were rescued and brought ashore. This saw the RNIPLS drop the word 'shipwreck' from its name, and the SFMBS transfer its lifeboats to what would now be known as the RNLI. The RNLI was still underfunded so accepted an annual government subsidy of £2,000 but this resulted in the Board of Trade having say in the RNLI's operations. By 1869 they no longer needed to rely on the government subsidy so terminated the agreement.[10]

The loss of 27 lifeboat crew from Southport and St Annes in 1886 inspired local committee member Charles Macara to campaign for more funds to support the families of volunteers who were killed during rescues. As a result, in the summer of 1891 over £10,000 was raised through newspaper campaigns in Yorkshire. He then went on to organise the first 'Lifeboat Day'. This was held in Manchester on 1 October 1891. Two lifeboats were paraded through the streets as volunteers collected money from the public. The boats were then launched on a lake in a park to give demonstrations. More than £5,000 was raised on the day.[14][15]

Mechanisation and two world wars

1974 commemorative postage stamp for the RNLI's 150th anniversary (Rescue of Daunt Lightship's crew by Ballycotton lifeboat RNLB Mary Stanford. Artist: B. F. Gribble)

Six steam-powered lifeboats were built between 1890 and 1901. A number of lifeboat stations used commercial steam tugs to tow lifeboats to where they were needed, but the only tug owned by the RNLI was the Helen Peele which operated at Padstow from 1901–1929. Petrol-engined lifeboats saw wider use. Initial examples were converted from 'pulling and sailing' lifeboats but purpose-built motor lifeboats started to appear from 1908.[16][17] Production was severely restricted during the First World War.[18]

During the First World War, lifeboat crews launched 1,808 times, rescuing 5,332 people. With many younger men on active service, the average age of a lifeboatman was over 50. Many launches were to ships that had been torpedoed or struck mines, including naval or merchant vessels on war duty; a notable example was the hospital ship SS Rohilla which foundered in 1914 and was attended by six lifeboats, saving 144 lives over a 50-hour rescue mission.[19]

The first International Lifeboat Conference was held in London in 1924 on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the RNLI. Eight other countries sent delegations and it resulted in the establishment of the International Lifeboat Federation later that year. This is now known as the International Maritime Rescue Federation and has member organisations (including the RNLI) from more than 50 countries.[20][21]

Construction of motor lifeboats, first petrol-engined but later with specialised diesel engines, resumed after the war. The switch to diesel power was because these used less fuel and could cover much larger distances.[22] The Second World War again brought restrictions, but by now the fleet was largely motorised. In 1918 there had been 233 'pulling and sailing' lifeboats and 23 steam or petrol. In 1939 There were just 15 unpowered lifeboats, and the greater range of the motor lifeboats meant that only 145 were needed.[18]

The Second World War placed considerable extra demands on the RNLI, particularly in south and east England where the threat of invasion and enemy activity was ever-present,[23] rescuing downed aircrew a frequent occurrence, and the constant danger of mines.[24] During the war, 6,376 lives were saved.[25]

Nineteen RNLI lifeboats sailed to Dunkirk between 27 May and 4 June 1940 to assist with the Dunkirk evacuation. Lifeboats from Ramsgate, (RNLB Prudential (ON 697)), and Margate, (RNLB Lord Southborough (ON 688)), went directly to France with their own crews, Ramsgate's crew collecting 2,800 troops. Both coxswains, Edward Parker from Margate and Howard Primrose Knight from Ramsgate were awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for their "gallantry and determination when ferrying troops from the beaches".[26] Of the other lifeboats and crews summoned to Dover by the Admiralty, the first arrivals questioned the details of the service, in particular the impracticality of running heavy lifeboats on to the beach, loading them with soldiers, then floating them off. The dispute resulted in the first three crews being sent home. Subsequent lifeboats arriving were commandeered without discussion, much to the disappointment of many lifeboatmen. A later RNLI investigation resulted in the dismissal of two Hythe crew members, who were nevertheless vindicated in one aspect of their criticism, as Hythe's Viscountess Wakefield was run on to the beach at La Panne and unable to be refloated; she was the only lifeboat to be lost in the operation. Some RNLI crew members stayed in Dover for the emergency to provide repair and refuelling facilities, and after the end of the evacuation most lifeboats returned to their stations with varying levels of damage and continued their lifesaving services.[23][24][27]

Developments after the war

An Arun-class lifeboat

The diesel engines used in lifeboats continued to be developed after the war. A standard Gardner engine was found to work well in the marine environment and became the RNLI's standard from 1954. Using a commercial engine made maintenance and obtaining spare parts much easier than with the specialised engines used previously.[22]

Faster lifeboats were developed from the 1960s by adopting new hull shapes. The first was the Waveney-class based on an American design, but the RNLI developed the concept with the Arun-class in the 1970s. Faster craft allowed the location of stations to be reviewed with the aim of being able to reach 95% of casualties within 30 minutes of launch. This meant than some stations could be closed as there were others nearby, but it also showed some gaps in coverage which required new stations to be opened.[28]

For more than 100 years, most lifeboat launches had been to commercial vessels that were in distress. Improved engines and safety equipment, along with a reduction in coastal traffic, saw a reduction in these demands, however more leisure users were taking to the water. These people generally had less experience of the sea and were close to shore. The RNLI considered the use of small inflatable rescue boats. One was purchased for trials and the work of the lifesaving society in Brittany was studied.[29] The first of these D-class lifeboats was deployed in 1963 and by 1969 there were 108 in service which had been launched 1,210 times and saved 541 lives.[30] Larger inshore lifeboats were developed with the Atlantic 21 entering service in 1970.[29]

New services for a new century

RNLI lifeguards on duty at Sennen in Cornwall

The RNLI made a study of its operations during the 1990s and concluded that little more could be done to save people after accidents at sea, but there was scope to reduce the number of accidents happening. This entailed establishing some new services that do not directly involve traditional lifeboats stationed around the coast. A 'Sea Safety' campaign produces various short guides with advice and safety information for different types of user such as divers, sailors and users of personal water craft. 'Sea Check' volunteers also provide inspections and advice for leisure boat owners.[31]

Attention was also paid to people on beaches. The RNLI started to provide lifeguards on certain beaches in May 2001. By the end of the decade the service was provided at 100 beaches and more than 10,000 people were being given aid each year.[32] 2001 also saw the first lifeboat stations established on inland waters. Enniskillen Lifeboat Station on Lough Erne was opened in May 2001 and several stations were established on the River Thames in 2002.[33]

The RNLI received attention in 2021 for its actions during the European migrant crisis as the lifeboats were increasingly called upon to rescue migrants attempting to cross the English Channel in small boats. The British government praised its 'vital work' but politician Nigel Farage criticised the organisation as being a 'taxi service' for human trafficking gangs. There was a 3000% rise in daily donations and a 270% increase in people viewing its website's volunteering opportunities page after the RNLI's chief executive disclosed the verbal abuse received by its volunteers from members of the public due to its rescuing of migrants.[34][35][36]

Rescues, losses and honours

Rescues and lives saved

Suevic on the rocks, 1907

The RNLI's lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved more than 140,000 lives since 1824.[37] The RNLI makes a distinction between people aided and lives saved. There were 8,462 lifeboat launches in 2014, rescuing 8,727 people, including saving 460 lives. Lifeguards helped or rescued 19,353 people. Flood rescuers deployed seven times.[38] In 2015 crews rescued on average 22 people a day.[39]

The biggest rescue in the RNLI's history was on 17 March 1907, when the 12,000 tonne liner SS Suevic hit the Maenheere Reef near Lizard Point in Cornwall. In a strong gale and dense fog, RNLI lifeboat volunteers rescued 456 passengers, including 70 babies. Crews from The Lizard, Cadgwith, Coverack and Porthleven rowed out repeatedly for 16 hours to rescue all of the people on board. Six silver RNLI medals were later awarded, two to Suevic crew members.[40]

Lifeboat and crew losses

One of William Hillary's concerns in setting up the NIPLS in 1824 was that people were putting their lives in danger to rescue people from shipwrecks.[5] Since then, more than 600 people have died in the service of the RNLI.[37]

A memorial was unveiled outside the RNLI's Poole headquarters in 2009. It was designed by Sam Holland and bears William Hillary's motto: with courage, nothing is impossible. The names of all those who have lost their lives are inscribed around it.[41] There is also an RNLI memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas.[42]

Honours

Bust of Henry Blogg of Cromer

More than 2,500 medals have been awarded by the RNLI to its crews for bravery, with 150 gold, 1,563 silver and 791 bronze medals earned up to 2004.[43] The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum or a framed Letter of Appreciation may be given for other notable acts, such as those awarded to crews of Aberystwyth Lifeboat Station.[44] The Ralph Glister Award is a monetary award made for the most meritorious service in each year and was inaugurated in 1968.[45][46] The Walter and Elizabeth Groombridge Award is given annually for the most outstanding service by an Atlantic 21 (and successors) lifeboat crew. Established in 1986 as the Walter Groombridge Award in memory of Brighton Lifeboat Station's Administration Officer it was renamed in memory of his wife who died in 1989.[47]

The most decorated lifeboatman was Henry Blogg, coxswain of Cromer for 37 years, with three gold medals and four silver. He also received the George Cross and the British Empire Medal and is known as "The Greatest of all Lifeboatmen".[48] The youngest recipient was Frederick Carter (11) who with Frank Perry (16) was awarded a Silver Medal for a rescue at Weymouth in 1890. Other notable lifeboatmen include Henry Freeman of Whitby, coxswain for 22 years,[49] Robert William Hook (1828–1911), coxswain at Lowestoft from 1853 to 1883 and credited with saving over 600 lives plus two dogs and a cat,[50] Henry "Shrimp" Davies, coxswain of the Cromer Lifeboat with 45 years service[51] and James Haylett, coxswain of Caister-on-Sea.[52] One lifeboat has received an award: for the Daunt lightship rescue in 1936, the RNLB Mary Stanford and her entire crew were decorated (see illustration in history section, above).[53]

Organisation

The Lifeboat College, Poole
Capsize training at the College, Poole
RNLI advertisement (1928)

The RNLI's chief executive is Mark Dowie, formerly lifeboat operations manager at Salcombe. He succeeded Vice Admiral Paul Boissier, RN, on 15 May 2019.[54]

The RNLI is split into six administrative regions:[55]

Region Lifeboat stations Lifeguard units[Note 2]
North and East England 36 45
South East 31 43
South West 33 88
Wales, West and Isle of Man 46 49
Ireland 46 12
Scotland 46 8

The RNLI's main base is in Poole, Dorset, adjacent to Holes Bay in Poole Harbour. It includes RNLI HQ, lifeboat maintenance and repair facilities, the Lifeboat Support Centre and RNLI College (the training centre). The support centre and college were opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 2004.[56] Specialist training facilities include a wave and capsize pool, a fire simulator, a ship's bridge simulator and an engineering workshop. The College's accommodation is available for RNLI members and their guests when training is not taking place and offers facilities for weddings, conferences and other events.[57] About half of the RNLI's staff work at Poole. Other locations are Dublin, London, Perth, Saltash, St Asaph and Stockton-on-Tees, while some roles are at lifeboat stations or home-based and include operations, estate and financial management, public relations and information technology.[58] A new headquarters for RNLI Ireland was opened at Airside in Swords, County Dublin, in June 2006 by President Mary McAleese, attended by the then Chairman of the Executive Committee of the RNLI, Admiral Sir Jock Slater, RN.[59]

The institution has enjoyed royal patronage since its foundation. The patrons have been King George VI (1824–1830), King William IV (1830–1837), Queen Victoria (1837–1901), King Edward VII (1901–1910), King George V (1910–1936), Queen Mary (1911–1953), Queen Alexandra (1913–1925), King Edward VIII (1936), King George VI (1937–1952), Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (1937–2002), and Queen Elizabeth II (1952–2022).[60]

Operations

Throughout the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, ships in distress, or the public reporting an accident, contact the emergency services by telephone or radio. Calls are redirected to HM Coastguard or the Irish Coast Guard as appropriate, who will coordinate air-sea rescue operations and may call on the RNLI (or independent lifeboats), or their own land-based rescue personnel and rescue helicopters to help.[61]

Lifeboat stations

Lifeboat station and slipway at Douglas, Isle of Man

As of May 2023, there are 238 RNLI lifeboat stations[62] around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. Tower Lifeboat Station on the River Thames in London is the RNLI's busiest, in 2013 rescuing 372 people and saving 25 lives.[63] In 2015 Tower's launches had increased to 465.[39]

For public access the RNLI classifies stations as one of three types: Explore, which are normally open all year round and have a shop, Discover, normally open during the summer months and Observe which, because of their location, still welcome visitors but may not be easily accessible.[64]

From time to time the RNLI may close a station; some of these are later reopened by independent services. The history of some former lifeboat stations can be found in Wikipedia articles on the places where those stations were. (See also: List of lifeboat disasters in Britain and Ireland for further information on closed stations.)[65]

Rescue craft

Severn-class lifeboat, carrying a Y-boat
Atlantic 21-class ILB

As of May 2023, the RNLI operates 449 lifeboats.[66] The ship prefix for all RNLI lifeboats from the D-class (IB1) to the Tamar-class is RNLB (Royal National Lifeboat).[67]

  • All-weather lifeboats (ALBs) are large boats with enclosed wheelhouses and survivor spaces below deck, which are self-righting and can go out in all weather conditions. Some ALBs carry an inflatable Y-class lifeboat or Y-boat for inshore work, launched by mechanical arm. There are six classes of ALB motor life boats, with speeds ranging from 17 to 25 knots. The RNLI's aim is to provide a 25-knot lifeboat to every all-weather crew, and has begun construction of an All-weather Lifeboat Centre (ALC) in Poole which, when complete, will save £3 million per year.[68] The RNLI took over the ALC in 2015 with the expectation of becoming fully operational in 2019, when six Shannon-class lifeboats a year will be built.[69]
  • Inshore lifeboats (ILBs) are smaller boats that operate closer to the shore and in shallower waters than ALBs. There are two classes, inflatables and RIBs capable of 25–40 knots. The RNLI's Inshore Lifeboat Centre at Cowes, Isle of Wight, has been building lifeboats since the 1960s[68] and by 2015 had produced over 1,600.[69]
  • Hovercraft were introduced in 2002, allowing rescue on mudflats and in river estuaries inaccessible to conventional boats.[70]

Personnel and equipment

Lifeboat crews are composed almost entirely of volunteers, numbering 4,600 in 2013, including over 300 women. They are supported by 3,000 volunteer shore crew and station management.[68] Lifejackets have evolved from cork, kapok and synthetic foam to today's light and non-cumbersome designs. ALB and ILB crews wear different styles of lifejacket. ALB crews wear lifejackets that inflate automatically when submerged in water, while ILB crews wear lifejackets that are already inflated.[71]

RNLI lifeguards are placed on more than 200 beaches around England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, and aided almost 20,000 people in 2014.[38][72] The lifeguards are paid by the appropriate town or city council, while the RNLI provides their equipment and training.[73]

Standard lifeguard set-up at water's edge

The institution has operated an International Flood Rescue Team since the 2000 Mozambique floods, with six strategically placed teams each with two boats, support transport and equipment. The teams are formed of volunteer lifeboat crew with a range of additional skills, prepared to travel to emergencies overseas at short notice.[74] They have trained alongside other teams for the common purpose in the United States.[75]

Heritage and museums

The RNLI maintains or encourages a number of entities in respect of the history and activity of the institution along with preserved lifeboats, including:

  • Historic Lifeboat Collection in Chatham Historic Dockyard with 17 historic vessels.[76]
  • The Grace Darling Museum opened in 1938 at Bamburgh, commemorating her rescue of the SS Forfarshire.[77] The museum is run by the RNLI.[78]
  • The Henry Blogg Museum illustrates the history of Cromer's lifeboats, and tells the story of Henry Blogg's most famous rescues.[79]
  • The Lifeboat Enthusiasts' Society (a branch of the RNLI)[80]
  • The (independent) Historic Lifeboat Owners Association, promoting the study and preservation of lifeboats.[81]
  • The RNLI Heritage Trust's collection of historic items at its HQ in Poole, including fine art, model lifeboats, and an archive of historic documents and photographs.[82]
  • In 2017 Mikron Theatre Company toured a commissioned play In At The Deep End about the RNLI.[83]

Support and image

RNLI flag

The first design of the RNLI flag was created by Leonora Preston in 1884 after her brother was rescued by Ramsgate lifeboat volunteers. The design depicts Saint George's Cross bordered by a dark blue line and within the white cantons, initials of the charity name coloured red. The first design included the Tudor crown worn by King George VI at the centre of the cross with a foul anchor below it, representing the charity's dedication to the royal charter and to the sea. The design was formally adopted in 1908 and was flown at every lifeboat station thereafter. In 1953, following Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, the design was altered to exchange the Tudor crown with St Edward's crown to represent the newly appointed monarch.[84][85]

Women in the RNLI

In the early days of the service, lifeboat launch and recovery was usually undertaken by women. There were deeply-held views about women crewing the boats – it was considered extremely bad luck. Along all parts of the coastline, women supported their men on the lifeboat crews by working together to get the lifeboat afloat and then later recovering it from the water in readiness for when the next call came.[86] While lifeboat crew are still predominantly male (92 per cent in 2013, falling to 90 per cent in 2022),[87][88] the first female (inshore) crew member was Elizabeth Hostvedt in 1969, and Frances Glody was the first woman crew member on an all-weather lifeboat, at Dunmore East Lifeboat Station, in 1981.[86] Lauren McGuire, at the age of 27, became the RNLI's youngest station manager in 2011, at Clovelly, Devon.[89] In 2017 at Harwich Lifeboat Station, Di Bush became the RNLI's first female full-time mechanic. Four years later she was appointed coxswain of the Harwich Lifeboat, making her the first female full-time coxswain in the RNLI's history.[90] In 2011, Cardigan Lifeboat Station launched an all-female crew in what was believed to be a first in Wales.[91] In 2022, Cullercoats RNLI station launched its first all-female lifeboat crew.[92] The 2022 figures published show lifeguards comprise 29 per cent women, and the RNLI total workforce to be 34 per cent women.[88]

Voluntary support

Apart from lifeboat crew and lifeguards, the institution provides a variety of volunteering opportunities. One of these is as "Deckhand" where signed-up volunteers are notified by email or mobile phone when there is a local need, such as marshalling at fundraising events, helping with collections or in an RNLI shop. Voluntary internships in RNLI offices are available three times a year.[93]

Safety advice

RNLI lifeguard hut in Widemouth Bay, Cornwall

In addition to safety advice given in its publications,[94] the RNLI offers safety advice to boat and beach users when the opportunity arises, and to at-risk groups such as anglers, divers and kayakers.[68] The institution runs sea and beach safety sessions for young people, particularly in inner-city areas;[95] in 2013, more than 6,000 children a week were spoken to by education volunteers about sea and beach safety, and over 800 children a week received training.[68] Five hundred children were taught to swim in 2014.[96] In an effort to reduce the estimated 400,000 drownings a year worldwide, more than half of them children, the RNLI extends practical or strategic safety advice to lifesaver organisations overseas, in some cases providing training at the Lifeboat College.[97][98]

Salvage

The RNLI does not support or encourage salvage (the recovery of a ship and its cargo). This is for two reasons: firstly, because it exists to save lives at sea, and secondly, to become involved in salvage might discourage those whose lives are at risk from calling for help. The RNLI's Sea Safety Guidelines state that "There is no 'salvage' fee when you are towed by a lifeboat, but a voluntary contribution to the RNLI is always very welcome!". This stance was reinforced in Newquay in 2009, when the RNLI was criticised for not launching a lifeboat in order to aid an uncrewed fishing vessel that had run aground. A spokesperson for the RNLI declared that "We are not a salvage firm and our charity's aim is to provide immediate assistance for people in trouble at sea and lives are at risk."[99]

There have been a few isolated cases where RNLI crew members (but not the RNLI itself) have claimed salvage.[100] There is no legal reason why crew members of the RNLI could not salvage a vessel,[101][102] since they frequently tow small vessels to safety, often over long distances.[103]

Funding

The RNLI is principally funded by legacies (65%) and voluntary donations (28%), with the remainder from merchandising and investment. In 2021, the RNLI's income was £219.9 million, which included government contracts worth £3.7 million, while its expenditure on delivering a lifeboat service was £157.8 million.[4][96] It has 65 employees paid more than £60,000 per year,[4] and 21% of its expenditure was on fundraising and governance rather than delivering its charitable aims.[4] The institution encourages corporate partnerships, which included in 2014 Waitrose, Yamaha and Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.[104]

As of 2013, there were 1,100 RNLI fundraising branches throughout the regions served by the institution,[68] many far from the sea, which may support a particular station, or a project such as a new lifeboat. The institution estimated their volunteer network at 31,500 in 2014.[105] The largest regular contributor is The Communications and Public Service Lifeboat Fund (known simply as 'The Lifeboat Fund') established in 1886 for civil servants to support the RNLI collectively; the Fund has provided the institution with 52 lifeboats as well as other support.[104]

The lifeboat collection boxes[106][107] are seen nationwide,[108] and have even become the target for thieves.[109] A fixed, cast iron collection box in Porthgwarra, Cornwall, is Grade II listed.[110] The institution's annual fundraising day ("SOS Day") is at the end of January, but many lifeboat stations hold open days during the summer, hosting displays, stalls and other events,[111][112] as well as in-station shops which are open full or part-time.[113]

Nationally and internationally known celebrities in various fields are, or have been supporters and fundraisers for the RNLI; for example, the cartoonist Giles was a Life President of the RNLI and donated many cartoons which are still being used for RNLI charity cards and other illustrations, and Ross Brawn, the former Formula 1 team boss, in 2012 raised funds through a business challenge, for a new lifeboat for Chiswick Lifeboat Station on the River Thames in London.[114] Other names include Bear Grylls, Ben Cohen, Daniel Craig, Bernard Hill, Celia Imrie, David Morrissey, James and Oliver Phelps,[115] and Rebecca Newman, whose Coast to Coast tour in 2012[116] earned her an Outstanding Achievement Award.[117]

Membership

Membership classes involve differing levels of contribution

  • Governor, which includes voting rights
  • Offshore, aimed at active sailors and boaters
  • Shoreline and Joint Shoreline, the most popular level
  • Storm Force, for younger members[118]

Publications

From March 1852 to October 1854) the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck published The life-boat, or, Journal of the National Shipwreck Institution. Volume 2, no. 1 started with a new name in 1855: The life-boat, or, Journal of the National Life-Boat Institution. The last issue under this name was volume 31, no. 341 in April 1940; Life-boat War Bulletins were published from No. 1 in September 1940; from 1945 to December 1946 simply entitled Life-boat Bulletin. From volume 32, no. 342 (June 1947), the journal has been called The Life-boat, more recently The Lifeboat and then Lifeboat.[119][120]

Lifeboat is the quarterly magazine for all members, containing regional and national news from the institution, featured rescues, book reviews and lifeboat launch listings, with a related news and features section in the RNLI's website.[121] Archived copies are available in searchable form online.[122]

Life-boat International is an annual publication, apparently a conference report, since 1974.[119][123]

The website contains full details of the organisation and its activities, including fundraising, lifeboats and stations, history and projects.[124]

Notes

  1. ^ The patronage of King George IV meant that the word 'Royal' was often added as a prefix to 'National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck', but it was also sometimes shortened to just 'Shipwreck Institution' or similar.
  2. ^ Page 14 of the RNLI's Annual Report for 2022 states there are 242 lifeguard units but the regional numbers on page 8 total 245.

See also

References

  1. ^ Report from the Select Committee on the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1897. p. 634. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  2. ^ "Mark Dowie". RNLI. May 2019.
  3. ^ "The Duke of Kent and the RNLI". The Royal Family. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "THE ROYAL NATIONAL LIFEBOAT INSTITUTION Charity number: 209603". Charity Commission for England & Wales. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  5. ^ a b Cameron, Ian (2009). Riders of the Storm. Orion Books. p. 26–29. ISBN 978-0-7528-8344-1.
  6. ^ Cameron 2009, p. 33.
  7. ^ Cameron 2009, pp. 39–42.
  8. ^ a b c Cameron 2009, p. 252.
  9. ^ Leach, Nicholas (2006). Cornwall's Lifeboat Heritage. Twelveheads Press. p. 12. ISBN 0-906294-43-6.
  10. ^ a b c Cameron 2009, pp. 51–56.
  11. ^ Cameron 2009, pp. 146–147.
  12. ^ Cameron 2009, pp. 57–59.
  13. ^ Cameron 2009, pp. 65–67.
  14. ^ Cameron 2009, pp. 85–92.
  15. ^ Kipling, Ray; Kipling, Susannah (2006). Never Turn Back. Sutton Publishing. pp. 143–145. ISBN 0-7509-4307-6.
  16. ^ Cameron 2009, pp. 70–83.
  17. ^ Denton, Tony (2010). Handbook 2010. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. p. 14.
  18. ^ a b Cameron 2009, pp. 105–109.
  19. ^ Cameron 2009, pp. 98–104.
  20. ^ Cameron 2009, p. 253.
  21. ^ "Our Members". International Maritime Rescue Federation. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  22. ^ a b Cameron 2009, pp. 126–129.
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Further reading

  • Belby, Alec (1992). Heroes All! The story of the RNLI. Patrick Stephens. ISBN 978-1-85260-419-6.
  • Farrington, Karen; Constable, Nick (2011). Mayday! Mayday! The History of Sea Rescue Around Britain's Coastal Waters. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-744338-3.
  • Lewis, Richard (1874). History of the life-boat, and its work. MacMillan & Co. Retrieved 8 December 2020 – via Internet Archive.
  • Warner, Oliver (1974). The Life-boat Service: A History of the Royal National Life-boat Institution, 1824-1974. Cassell. ISBN 978-0-30429-061-1.

External links