THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW is now over and once again the results are very encouraging: 1,011 new members were enrolled. Such a good result could not have been achieved, however, without the help and dedication of our voluntary Shoreline team and our grateful thanks go to Jim Mead, David Parker, Harold Appleton, Ewart Myer, Dinorah Galler, Richard Wilson, Ian Taylor and Jeff Needham who gave up their time to make sure the stand was fully manned for the whole eleven days of the show, from January 8 to 18.

I would also like to thank all the Shoreline members who took time out to visit our stand and have a chat. It was very nice meeting you all.

* * * As you probably all know, if a sum of money is given to a charity under a deed of covenant, the charity can recover from the Government the basic income tax which the donor has paid on that amount of money. The gift is thus enhanced without any extra cost to the donor. Until last year the period for which a covenant needed to run was 'over six years', but the Finance Act of 1980 reduced this period to 'over three years'.

The Institution is looking for new revenue in these days of rising prices, and covenanting is one field in which the lifeboat service can benefit considerably.

It is interesting to note that of all the new members who enrolled at the London Boat Show this year, 76.6 per cent were happy to sign a deed of covenant and the extra revenue derived from this source alone amounts to £2,000. Just think by how much the RNLI could benefit if every one of our Shoreline members—now more than 74,000—were to covenant his or her subscription.

May I, therefore, ask those members who do not at present covenant their Shoreline subscription if they would be kind enough to give serious consideration to signing a deed of covenant. Our staff at Poole are always happy to give any information or help where it is needed.

* * * From April 6, 1981, the total covenanted payments to charity allowable for tax purposes has been increased to £3,000 in any one year of assessment. In addition, relief for higher tax is claimable by the taxpayer, making it possible for Shoreline members who pay higher rates of income tax to give the Institution even greater help when making a covenant. This is how it works: If a donor who is liable to higher rates of income tax covenants a sum of money to a charity, the charity can recover from the Government the tax paid at the basic rate (30 per cent) on that amount. In addition the donor can then recover from the Government the tax paid at the highest rate to which he or she is liable. This new concession allows a donor to make a higher covenanted gift to the charity without any greater ultimate personal cost.

Thus, if a governor of the Institution liable to the basic rate of tax only, covenants his or her £15 Shoreline subscription, the RNLI, by recovering the 30 per cent tax paid by the donor, receives the gross sum of £21.46. If, however, a governor liable to the higher rate of income tax of, say, 75 per cent covenants £42 for his subscription to Shoreline, the RNLI can still recover the basic 30 per cent tax, receiving the gross amount of £60, but the donor himself or herself can also recover the amount paid in higher rate tax, so that the effective actual cost remains at £15.

The table below, based on the present governor's annual subscription of £15, illustrates how the system works.

It should perhaps be emphasised that the effect of this tax relief is not to enable the Institution to recover more than basic rate tax but to encourage covenantors to make greater annual payments at no extra cost to themselves.

It must also be emphasised that where a covenantor decides to increase Table, based on present governor's subscription of £15, showing how, when covenanting, higher rate taxpayers can give more to the RNLI at the same cost to themselves: the end cost to the covenantor from his or her taxed income remains £15 throughout: Previous gross value Highest rate of tax paid 30% 40% 45% 50% 55% 60% 65% 70% 75% Previous annual payment (net) £15.00 £15.00 £15.00 £15.00 £15.00 £15.00 £15.00 £15.00 £15.00 to RNLI (basic rate of 30%) £21.46 £21.46 £21.46 £21.46 £21.46 £21.46 £21.46 £21.46 £21.46 Annual payment (net) after 6/4/81 £15.00 £17.00 £19.09 £21.00 £23.33 £26.25 £30.00 £35.00 £42.00 Additional benefit to RNLI — £3.54 £5.81 £8.54 £11.87 £16.04 £21.40 £28.54 £38.54 New gross value to RNLI £21.46 £25.00 £27.27 £30.00 £33.33 £37.50 £42.86 £50.00 £60.00 the annual net payment it will not be enough for him or her simply to pay the RNLI the greater sum: a new covenant form will need to be completed and signed.

Following the success last year of the BMW car competition, which led to the enrolment of 2,578 new members, I am pleased to announce that the RNLI has been given a Renault 5TR for a similar competition. Our thanks go to Renault UK for this very generous gesture, and also to Mrs Aplin of Exmouth ladies' guild and their local Renault garage, Burrows, by whose efforts this idea became a reality.

The competition will be run on similar lines to the one held last year. The name of every Shoreline member signing on a new member, using the special Renault competition application form, will automatically be included in a grand draw which will be made at the London Motor Fair, Earls Court, in October.

Your support last year was excellent and you set a high target. Now, can we beat it? I am certain that with the heartwarming enthusiasm we always find among our members, this year's competition could be a bumper one.

Application forms will come to you with this journal, and if you would 4ike further supplies please do not hesitate to write to us.

* * * Shoreline clubs are well established at Portsmouth, Southampton and Southend-on-Sea, and now a fourth club has been founded at Milton Keynes; the inaugural meeting was held at Wavendon Tower on January 13 this year. It is very encouraging that a club should have been formed so far from the coast, and we wish Milton Keynes every success. Any Shoreline member living in that area who wishes to become associated with the club should write to the honorary secretary, Denis J. Morgan, Killala, Stoke Road, Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, or telephone Milton Keynes 75164.

Shoreline Club No. 2, Southampton, recently held its AGM, and very well attended it was, too. The new chairman is Michael McMorland.

Shoreline Club No. 3, Southendon- Sea, now meets at the T.E.A.C., 111 Eastern Esplanade on the second Wednesday of each month at 1930.

* * * Peggy Smart, the longest serving member of Shoreline office, retires at the end of May. As our correspondence clerk she has, over the years, made many friends and I know you will all join me in wishing her a very happy retirement.

And we all hope that, for you all, the summer will be a good one.—PETER HOLNESS, membership secretary, RNLI, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1HZ..