Appealing start The Crew Training Appeal is seeking funds to cover the cost of crew training at individual lifeboat stations and is approaching local businesses, trusts, and individuals for donations. It will cost some £20,000 for training at a single station for the next five years and some stations are being funded outright by a local individual or company (Bank of Scotland has completely funded three stations in Scotland!), but the Appeal also encourages groups of people to get together and 'take on' a station as their own project. Plaques and presentation photographs are given to exceedingly generous donors in recognition of their kind gift.

The appeal was designed by Lady Cooksey, who is extremely active as Chairman and together with her vice-chairman Mrs Rosalie Trinder, they have been networking to secure the services of eminent individuals as official Patrons of the appeal.

Patrons are encouraged to choose a particular lifeboat station and help coordinate its fundraising by reaching out into their own networks of friends, colleagues etc. The network is continually increasing and contains members who are existing contributors or committee members - it is also introducing many people to active RNLI support, and is set to get more involved with businesses and corporate sponsorship.

Although only launched in September the Appeal has got off to a blistering start, with over one million pounds already pledged. The Bank of England kindly hosted the launch, and Bank of Scotland are preparing to host the Scottish launch in December (similar launches are hoped for Wales and the Republic of Ireland next year!. The combined target is five million pounds, which will fund all 220 stations for five years and also provide major sponsorship for eight Mobile Training Units and the training centres at Poole and Cowes.

Appeal Coordinator, Myles Bremner, is carefully bringing together all the donations and pledges and working to ensure that the Appeal becomes more than just a success.

The success it is having so far will hopefully form the groundwork not only to reach the Appeal target, but to bring more continued support thereafter, and help guide the lifeboat crew members into the 21st century with excellent training and training equipment.

The Appeal slogan is suitably hardhitting: "If you think training is expensive...then consider the cost of ignorance." If you would like further information on the Appeal, please contact: Myles Bremner, RNLI Crew Training Appeal, 20 Buckingham Street, London WC2N 6EF Tel (0171)8393369.

Happy 175th! Frances Aldridge. the RNLI's 175th Anniversary Project Manager, tells the story so far of the 175th anniversary celebrations...

As Anniversary Project Manager, my job is to bring together all the many ideas for celebrating 175 years of saving lives at sea and to sift those ideas, picking out those which are workable, manageable and worthwhile and, hopefully, doing them really well. The anniversary is a real opportunity to think expansively and raise awareness while, at the same time, remaining true to the nature of the Institution which, over 175 years, has seen lifeboat technology dramatically change and develop while the volunteer crews and fundraisers have remained essentially the same in terms of self-sacrifice and dedication.

I have a strong and talented project team in place comprising a real cross-section of RNLI expertise and we have already held our first brainstorming session from which has come the basis of the anniversary plan.

So what is in store for 1999? First of all there are two key dates to remember - 4 March 1999, the actual birthday, and the week of 20 June 1999 which is when a huge flotilla of overseas and UK lifeboats will come to Poole harbour, hopefully culminating in a Royal review sometime during the week.

That week is also the week of the 18th International Lifeboat Federation Conference which the RNLI is hosting at the Royal Bath Hotel in Bournemouth.

Coincidentally, our friends in the Koninklijke Nederlandse Redding Maatschappij (KNRM, and the Dutch equivalent of the RNLI) also celebrate their 175th anniversary in 1999 which presents us with an obvious and very welcome chance to extend our existing links into a real celebration. There are plans for both our countries to organise a round-the-coast relay with lifeboats visiting every lifeboat station on our respective coastlines - hopefully with local celebrities on board carrying something special to mark the event - and then meeting up in the North Sea with a possible exchange of lifeboats and crew.

On 4 March we are planning a synchronised launch of lifeboats from every one of our lifeboat stations. The launches would also be formal exercises and so be practical and celebratory. Operations and Public Relations will be working flat out to achieve this unique occasion which we hope will attract a lot of media coverage.

There are also plans for an exhibition and travelling roadshow, commemorative coins and stamps, a possible TV documentary, an action-packed children's book, a massive poster campaign, floral displays and numerous commemorative sales items.

The regions are brimming over with ideas for fundraising and awareness activities including The Lifeboat Challenge when teams and individuals will be challenged to visit as many lifeboat stations as possible over a given period of time, The Birthday Bash when branches and guilds will be encouraged to hold as many varied events as they can think of, and there will also be an Anniversay Appeal.

All these exciting ideas will be brought together and branded under our anniversary logo (shown above) and which will be used at every possible opportunity and used for the 1999 badge appeal.

Other plans are being worked up at the time of going to press so - watch this space ! Anyone wanting to contact Frances Aldridge with additional ideas can do so on (01202) 663323 She will be pleased to hear from you..