Winning fundraising friendsHarmony in Exeter An excellent way for branches and guilds to raise money within their community is to ask groups, clubs, businesses and individuals to do a fundraising event for their branch or guild.

Just one example of how this is working is the fundraising friendship between Exeter and district branch, and the local police choir.

On 2 December 2001 the Exeter and Torbay Police Choir, together with Sidmouth Town Band, held their annual Christmas concert at the University of Exeter and wanted all proceeds to go to the RNLI.

From the initial meeting with the choir, the Exeter and district branch worked with them to make sure that the event raised as much as possible. The choir handled ticket sales, while the branch arranged promotional printing and radio publicity.

On the day, branch members decked out the hall with RNLI flags and banners. They also arranged a RNLI Chief Executive rows for chanty Andrew Freemantle MBE, chief executive of the RNLI, and Michael Viasto, operations director, teamed up to row up the River Thames to raise money for the RNLI.

The pair were part of a two-day event organised byGoodenough College London Rowing Club with rowers covering 110 miles from Oxford to Putney.

The two men rowed the five-mile leg from Maidenhead to Eton on 26 May to help foster good relations between Thames rowers and the RNLI and to raise awareness of the RNLI's Thames lifeboat service.draw for the evening and sold tickets to the arriving audience, some 1,000 people.

A total of £5,000 was raised that evening and, on 4 April, a formal cheque presentation was held at the Exeter Police headquarters.

Furry mpnster spotted on Torbay lifeboat Friendly Mascot Morris from the Landscove and St Mary's Bay holiday complexes was a special visitor to the Torbay lifeboat.

From April to October, the Brixham lifeboat guild sells grand draw tickets at the holiday centres during the evening entertainment, so a return visit to the lifeboat by Mascot Morris was overdue.

Last year Brixham raised £7,500 from grand draw sales, and they hope to raise even more this year, having already sold £5,000 of tickets this season.£5,000 was raised at the Christmas concert for the RNLI -enough to send nine lifeboat crew members on a radar and navigation course.

£5,000 for the RNLI - enough to buy two propellers and two boat anchors for Severn class lifeboats.The 'Return of May Madness' A boisterous evening at the Royal Victoria Yacht Club was attended by 110 people, raising £7,250 for the RNLI. The money was raised through a combination of a licensed prize draw, a game of Tops and Tails', a raffle and an auction. The band, Cosmic Sausages, repeated their fantastic performance of 2001 at the event When presented with the cheque, Bembridge coxswain Martin Woodward said: 'A superb evening giving a fantastic result.

The Institution is hugely dependent on the fundraising efforts of the branches, guilds and events such as this. Congratulations for a fantastic result,'On your marks... The Edinburgh Marathon "Believe in Yourself" The RNLI is delighted to announce that they will be an official charity of the Edinburgh Marathon 2003. The marathon won't take place until Sunday 15 June next year, but participants will need to start thinking about training soon. The route will pass by some of the city's most historic landmarks, including Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Yacht Britannia and Holyrood Palace, and bagpipers will encourage runners along the route.

Places are limited for this unique and challenging event, but the RNLI is seeking between 50 and 200 runners to Run for the Lifeboats. RNLI runners will be asked to raise at least £500 through sponsorship or fundraising activities. In return they will receive a great support package, including a training T-shirt and running vest, training and fundraising tips and an invitation to an exclusive RNLI post-run reception with refreshments and a sports massage.

For more information on the Edinburgh Marathon, visit www.edinburgh-marathon.co.uk. If you would like to Run for the Lifeboats, please contact: Isla Dewar, RNLI Events Organiser (Scotland), Tel 01738 642 999 or email [email protected] ahoy! re cannot be many branches that have their committee meetings at, but the Boston branch is one. Thanks to the support of new imittee member Sarah Simms, the committee now meet on her t. the Boston Belle. The 're-launched' branch members are looking forward to all kinds of fundraising activities, hoping that the unique meeting place will inspire them.IMPORTANT NEWS ABOUT HARBOUR ACCOUNTS From 1 October 2002, The Royal Bank of Scotland will no longer be offering the Harbour Account in association with the RNLI. All Harbour Accounts will become Royal Bank of Scotland Postal Plus Accounts, and will offer the same interest rate and operate under the same terms and conditions, except that the bank will no longer donate 0.25% of total balances to the RNLI.

The Royal Bank of Scotland has ended the relationship with the RNLI following four successful years, which has seen the bank donate £66,060.11 to the RNLI.

If you are a Harbour Account holder and would like to receive details about alternative ways to support the RNLI, please contact the RNLI with your name and address (under the Data Protection Act, the bank is not able to pass names and addresses of Harbour Account holders to the RNLI). Either: -Call the RNLI Supporter Helpline on 0800 543210, or - Write to RNLI Supporter Services, RNLI, West Quay Rd, PooleBH15 1HZ.

If you have a Harbour Account and have a banking enquiry about the change to your account, please call the Royal Bank Direct Savings Helpline on 0141 3537634.

The RNLI would like to take this opportunity to thank all Harbour Account holders and The Royal Bank of Scotland for their valuable support over the last four years.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS DOES NOT AFFECT THE LIFEBOATS MASTERCARD.

Spot the difference Visitors to the Weymouth lifeboat open day were impressed by a radio controlled model of the Severn class lifeboat Ernest and Mabel floating alongside the lifeboat itself.

Model maker and lifeboat supporter RonTrowbridge brought it to the station for display and demonstration on the open day, which took place on 3 August.Lottery winners The 98th lifeboat lottery winner is PA Dear of Hounslow, who wins a snazzy Peugeot 206. The draw took place on 31 July, and the cash prize winners are as follows: £1,000 - Mr and Mrs Simmonds, Warwickshire C50Q - RG Sparrow, Caterham £250 - RG Wilson, Sheringham £100 - D Adams, Horsham; D Todd, Sudbury; DW Short, Dyfed; S White, Isle of Wight; HG Mathers, Bristol.

The 100th lifeboat lottery is due to be drawn on 31 January 2003. If you would like a chance to win the first prize - £3,000 Sainsbury's vouchers - please contact our Membership Services on 01202 663234 to obtain your lucky tickets.

The lottery raised £223,531 for the lifeboat service - enough to buy a pair of main engines for a Trent lifeboat, two Atlantic 75 launching trailers and three radars for Severn or Trent lifeboats.Marathon woman Teesmouth lifeboat station was delighted to receive a cheque for £1,618.80 from Helen Pickett, following her successful completion of the Flora London Marathon.

Helen, who lives in Dorking, chose to support the Teesmouth lifeboat station because of her family connections.£1,619-enoughto train three lifeboat mechanics at an engineering Level 2 course.

Cruise liner supports lifeboats For two months the cruise liner Van Gogh had been sailing in and out of Harwich harbour on cruises to the Fjords and other European destinations.

The cruise director, his officers and crew wished to support a local charity and selected Harwich lifeboat station.

During the cruises nearly £2,000 was raised on board and, on its last call at Harwich for this year, the money was handed over.

The donation will be used to provide crew training equipment at the new Harwich boathouse.A'jail and bail' fundraiser The crime: The 12 'prisoners', staff from Clerical Medical International, did not supply cream-buns to their colleagues at work, on their birthday.

The punishment: Confinement at the Tower of Refuge on Conister Rock, Isle of Man.

The bail: Each 'prisoner' had a mobile phone and, within two hours, had to phone family and friends to raise enough bail to get them off the island. They were also kept busy with different challenges to test their logic, teamwork and to make it a day to remember. Eventually the 'prisoners' were granted their freedom and returned to dry land.

Participant Cathy Dawson said: 'This is one of the most interesting and fun fundraising activities I can think of. The event, on 14 April 2002, took seven weeks to plan and raised £7,515forthe RNLI.

Pedalo power An eight-hour pedalo trip organised by the Aylsham and District branch, North Norfolk, raised £900 for lifeboats. Members and friends of the branch covered the 25-mile stretch along the River Bure. The sponsored event was supported by generous holiday makers on the river bank, impressed by the effort.

Pictures by Roger Oram £7,515 - enough money to buy an electronic chart system and a GPS satellite navigator for an all-weather lifeboat.Loads of dough raised An introduction to breadmaking and organic food production at the Village Bakery, Melmerby in aid of the RNLI was organised by the Penrith Ladies' Guild on 30 January.

Over 20 people enjoyed a hugely entertaining and informative one day course, covering an introduction to breadmaking and organic food production and raised nearly £600. The course was run by one of the pioneers of the organic food movement, Andrew Whittey, with imput from local organic food producer Kate Rogerson who grows much of the organic produce used in The Village Bakery restaurant.

This event has raised enough money to buy two drysuits for inshore crews and a steering wheel.

Rain didn't stop play Despite The very wet weather there was fun for all the family during the Queensferry lifeboat station open day. A funfair, entertainment, bric-a-brac, books, souvenirs, hamburgers, tombola, cake and candy all helped to raise over £850.The £850 raised is enough money to kit out an all-weather lifeboat crew member, buy a first aid kit packback and an anchor for a D class inshore lifeboat.

TourdeTendring The 10th Tour de Tendring cycle ride was enjoyed by around 1,000 participants on 19 May 2002. Cyclists of many different ages and levels of fitness gathered in northeast Essex to attempt to complete one of three routes: 20 miles for the leisure cyclist; 50 miles for the fit cyclist and 100 miles for the dedicated cyclist Proceeds from this year's event are still being collected, but last year £11,176 was raised for the RNLI. Special prizes for teams who raise the most money will be given at a presentation ceremony in October.Last call for'Old Tymers' The Midsomer Norton and Radstock branch banked cheques amounting to £6,800 in June, courtesy of other organisations raising money for the RNLI.

The first cheque came from the St Nick's Old Tymers who, for the last 25 years, have been delighting local audiences with their old time music hall performances. They are now breaking up after 25 years and chose the RNLI as their charity for this, their last year. Delighted Senior Area Organiser Sheila Lloyd and branch Chairman George Noden received a bumper cheque for £6,500, a record sum for the company to have raised.

To complement the performances, local supporters and branch members sold raffle tickets each evening and helped to serve supper.

In the same week branch President Tony Price was handed a cheque for £300 by George Noden, the result of his Masonic ladies weekend in Torquay.Flag it up The St Helen's branch in Merseyside held their annual flag day in the town centre on 8 June 2002. The event raised £1,372.50. the largest amount collected in any one day since the branch was inaugurated in 1999.Lifeboat-related reading Fowey lifeboats - an illustrated history by Nicholas Leach Price: £15.99 Available from Tempus Publishing on 01453 883300 Wells-next-the-Sea lifeboat - a history Price: £3.55 (inc. p&p) Available from: Janet Angles. Kilcoroon, Chantry Lane, Wellsnext- the-Sea, Norfolk NR23 1ER.

Make cheques out to 'Wells lifeboat history' Blackpool lifeboats by Jeff Morris Price £3.50 (inc. p&p) Available from: Keith Horrocks, c/o Blackpool lifeboat station. Central Promenade, Blackpool FY1 5YA. Make cheques out to RNLI The service record of the Dungeness lifeboats by Derek Buckland and Tony Taylor Price: £3.40 (inc. p&p) Available from Derek Buckland, to whom cheques should be made payable, at 12 New Bridge Way, St Mary's Bay, Romney Marsh, Kent TN29 OHA Henry Blogg of Cromer - the greatest of the lifeboatmen by Cyni Jolly Price: £11.95 Available from all good bookshops (ISBN 0946148 59 71 or visit www. poppy la nd. co.uk for further information A history of the Torbay lifeboats by Alan Salsbury Price: £19.95 Available from Halsgrove on 01884243242 The lighthouses of Trinity House by Richard Woodman and Jane Wilson Price £27.50 (plus £3.60 p&p) Available from RNLI Sales on 0870 600 1824.