Fortunately the age old advice 'never, ever volunteer' is as widely disregarded today as it was in Sir William Hillary's time. Richard Mann, the RNLI's Regions Manager, looks at some of the ways that the Institution is adapting to the needs of the voluntary fundraising efforts of the Branches and Guilds'I have sought by every argument to rouse the dormant energies of a brave and a humane people to the rescue of their fellow creatures...

'It is to be presumed that various parts of the interior of the United Kingdom will furnish considerable funds to the Institution/ Sir William Hillary 'An Appeal to the British Nation' Douglas. Isle of Man, 28 February 1823 'I am very proud to be associated with the RNLI in a very small way. I admire its high standards in a world which is becoming more mediocre.' RNLI Branch Committee member, 1993The RNLI is founded on the principle of voluntary contribution, both in kind and financially.

Sir William Hillary's call to the nation in 1824 was taken up by volunteer lifeboat crews around the coast who contributed their skills and their time, and it was not long before this volunteer spirit was mirrored among individuals throughout the country who were prepared to offer their time and energy to raise funds for something in which they believed.

And so it remains today.

The RNLI can draw on nearly 2,000 fundraising branches and guilds throughout the United Kingdom and the Republic of IrelandIreland and through the membership of these branches and guilds it can call on thousands of individuals from all walks of life, who offer their talents and experience in pursuit of the RNLI's aim of saving life at sea. Alongside our lifeboat crews our fundraising branches and guilds remain the bedrock of the RNLI.

Although branches and guilds remain active for long periods, some for more than a century, the individuals who constitute them inevitably change. The RNLI must therefore ensure that it responds to the changing views and expectations of this changing membership.

To better understand these needs some 1,500 branch and guild committee members, selected at random, were asked for their views during 1992/1993. Some interesting and usefulresults emerged, for instance by far the biggest problem facing branches and guilds is the need to recruit new members.

The most effective way of recruiting new members had been found to be by personal contact - talking with friends, neighbours, supporters at RNLI events and the general public. This has been shown to work much better than advertising in local newspapers or on local radio stations.

The best points about branch and guild membership centred on the friendship and sense of shared fun, allied to a strong sense of purposeand achievement. The worst points were harder to identify but there is clearly a 'communal groan' when the time for annual Flag Day and house-to-house collections comes around.

Many branch committee members suggested that much more could be done with young people, especially through educational work in schools and through starting youth groups.

Another interesting finding was that branches and guilds welcome the opportunity to meet in small groups to discuss fundraising methods. Large conferences are still popular but many members felt that there was much more to be gained by discussing mutual problems and opportunities in small groups.

Indeed, many felt that it was useful to hear more about the successes, and even the failures, of other branches and guilds.One disturbing finding was that many branch members felt they did not have enough information about the RNLI to answer questions from the general public.

Many branches felt that there was much to be gained by closer links with lifeboat stations and that this would be especially useful in helping to generate support and enthusiasm within their own branch.

Branches could become more involved in recruiting RNLI Governors and Shoreline members, but better materials were needed to support this and credit should be given direct to the i recruiting branch.There was concern about the quality of materials available to branches and guilds to support their fundraising.

While it is always interesting to read the results of this kind of research the important question is how will this information be used? The over-riding message was, perhaps, that the RNLI should communicate better with branches and guilds - for example many members had only a limited knowledge of the fundraising and promotional support materials available to them.

Clearly there is room for improvement,improvement, and the Institution has started to work on this improvement in a number of ways.

First, a 'Handbook for Financial Branches and Lifeboat Guilds' has been produced and this provides a useful source of information on a wide range of issues. The handbook contains a constitution for new branches and guilds and which existing ones can adopt if they wish. It gives a clear indication of the role that branch and guild officials fulfil and there is detailed information on insurance, accounting procedures and the law relating to charities. However the main content of the handbook concentrates on ideas for fundraising, the materials which are available to support this and how they can be obtained.

A programme of small conferences and workshops has begun around the country to discuss different fundraising methods. The emphasis is very much on discussion with the chance for people to share their experiences, both good and bad.

Area Organisers are closely involved with these conferences.

A major review has been undertaken of fundraising materials - ranging from collecting boxes to display units and thesenew materials are already being introduced. One example of this is the mechanical 'slipway launch' collecting box which has been a firm favourite with children for many years. This box was discontinued seven years ago because of the high cost of servicing and replacing it. New technology has allowed another look at this box, undoubtedly one of the most successful fundraising tools ever, and there are plans to re-design it for possible re-introduction in 1995.

In addition Regional Managers are encouraging branches and guilds to make planned visits to lifeboat stations, many of which will be holding open days during 1994. These have already been held very successfully in Wales and it is hoped they will become an annual event around the country.

A major project has been launched to increase awareness of the RNLI among young people and a Youth Promotion Coordinator has been appointed to lead it.

These are some of the ways in which the RNLI has tried to respond to the research findings. The feeling which shone through all the completed research questionnaires, however, and a feeling which I have witnessed over and over again as a Regional Manager working with branches and guilds is one of service.

When an individual joins a branch or guild committee they are doing something more than offering support; they are giving something of their own lives in service, a quality which would have been only too well understood by Sir William Hillary..