The first of the new 52-foot glass reinforced plastic life-boats to be built from the latest 52-foot prototype fast afloat boat (see pictures page 109) designed by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution is to be paid for by voluntary contributions from the Civil Service and Post Office Life-boat Fund. The boat will cost in the region of £60,000.

Members of the Fund visited the prototype life-boat at William Osborne's yard at Littlehampton on 8th May.

The Civil Service and Post Office Life-boat Fund was founded by the Post Office in 1866 and since that time has provided 35 life-boats at a cost of over half a million pounds. At present 13 Civil Service life-boats are in service..