Every lifeboat station and lifeguard beach is unique and each has different requirements if its volunteers are to successfully save lives at sea. Community fundraising and regional appeals can be tailored to meet these specific needs and provide a meaningful target for local support Providing emergency rescue cover over some 8,850 miles of coastline, beaches and inland waterways is a massive feat.To do this the RNLI needs a fleet of over 460 lifeboats, of nine different classes, operating from 232 locations; as well as rescue hovercraft, Beach Lifeguard rescue craft, boathouses, launching and recovery equipment, crew facilities and al! the associated equipment and crew gear.

The requirements of one location are quite different from another and a number of factors determine what search and rescue cover each station provides.

Geography, current and predicted trends in water activity, marina and harbour developments, availability of crew members and proximity of neighbouring stations are all taken into account.

Whatever the requirements, there is a class of lifeboat to fit the bill. A remote lifeboat station covering inhospitable waters off the north of Scotland would need a large all weather lifeboat, such as a Severn, that is capable of travelling miles offshore and tackling severe weather. A D class inflatable is ideal for rescues close to shore and among rocks in moderate conditions. Hovercraft are particularly useful at locations where the water is too shallow for an inshore lifeboat or ground conditions are too soft to support shorebased transport. And to save lives on the Thames the crews need fast, water jetpowered, response craft that are significantly different from the Atlantic 75s that are used on the coast.

The class and number of lifeboats required, together with the local environment, dictates what facilities and launching equipment are needed. To launch an all weather lifeboat across a long sandy beach would need a specialist launching tractor and carriage - to launch from a dockside requires a davit launch crane and gantry equipment.

All this, of course, is funded by your generous support.Every lifeboat station and lifeguard beach is unique and each has different requirements if its volunteers are to successfully save lives at sea. Community fundraising and regional appeals can be tailored to meet these specific needs and provide a meaningful target for local support Providing emergency rescue cover over some 8,850 miles of coastline, beaches and inland waterways is a massive feat.To do this the RNLI needs a fleet of over 460 lifeboats, of nine different classes, operating from 232 locations; as well as rescue hovercraft, Beach Lifeguard rescue craft, boathouses, launching and recovery equipment, crew facilities and al! the associated equipment and crew gear.

The requirements of one location are quite different from another and a number of factors determine what search and rescue cover each station provides.

Geography, current and predicted trends in water activity, marina and harbour developments, availability of crew members and proximity of neighbouring stations are all taken into account.

Whatever the requirements, there is a class of lifeboat to fit the bill. A remote lifeboat station covering inhospitable waters off the north of Scotland would need a large all weather lifeboat, such as a Severn, that is capable of travelling miles offshore and tackling severe weather. A D class inflatable is ideal for rescues close to shore and among rocks in moderate conditions. Hovercraft are particularly useful at locations where the water is too shallow for an inshore lifeboat or ground conditions are too soft to support shorebased transport. And to save lives on the Thames the crews need fast, water jetpowered, response craft that are significantly different from the Atlantic 75s that are used on the coast.

The class and number of lifeboats required, together with the local environment, dictates what facilities and launching equipment are needed. To launch an all weather lifeboat across a long sandy beach would need a specialist launching tractor and carriage - to launch from a dockside requires a davit launch crane and gantry equipment.

All this, of course, is funded by your generous support.Lifesaving in the city Londoners have a long history of supporting the RNLI through donations and fundraising but, since the four stations were established on the Thames in 2002, the RNLI now has a physical presence in the city.

The Thames is a deep, cold and dangerous river and has strong currents that can pull people under in seconds.The types of incidents that occur here are different from those on the coast, with over 10,000 people using the river every day and huge crowds attending important events.The Thames lifeboats are under the spotlight all year round and call-outs range from full-scale rescues of people in the water to submerged cars, dogs and their owners in difficulty and people cut off by the tide. The crewing arrangements are unusual too: three of the stations are manned 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to provide an immediate response. One crew member is even a Yeoman of the Guard.

As this issue of the Lifeboat goes to press the RNLI is confident of a bumper result from the 2004 London Lifeboat Week. This year, the event ran from 8-15 March with London Lifeboat Day itself held on 16 March, marking the end to the special week. This day brings the biggest single fundraising collection in the RNLI's calendar, raising around £300,000 every year. Hundreds of volunteer supporters, RNLI staff and lifeboat crew members took to the city streets and rail stations with their collecting buckets. No one could fail to notice that the RNLI was seeking funds in and around Greater London during lifeboat week.

This year BBC broadcaster Michael Buerk generously gave some of his time to record a radio advert for the appeal. The advert had primetime slots on Classic, Jazz and LBC radio stations.

There was also a carefully targeted mailing campaign to support lifeboats on the Thames and around the coastline.

Over 500,000 households in the capital received the appeal tetter You're our lifeline (see above). A mailing also went out to supporters in Greater London postcode areas to remind them of the special week and asking them to make a donation.

New collecting materials were specially devised for schools, including substituting the old style flag day emblem with a temporary tattoo. This appeals to more children and encourages them to learn more about the RNLI.

Regional appeals When the RNL! was in a better financial position a few years ago, it ran fewer regional appeals, as it wanted to remain honest with its supporters and not ask for money that was not needed. Now that things have changed financially the appeals programme is set to run full steam ahead in 2004 with the launch of 36 appeals, generating an income of some £2M.

'Community fundraising is becoming increasingly difficult for all charities but is still an important source of income for the RNLI,' says Fundraising and Communications Director David Brann.'We have many opportunities to raise money through appeals for lifeboats, shoreworks and equipment but not every region has high profile and popular items on which to focus' David continues. 'This is why we are also planning to concentrate on fundraising for crew training, which will benefit lifeboat crews throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland.' We plan to bring you more on this in future issue of the Lifeboat but here are some examples of regional and targeted appeals that are ongoing or planned for later in the year:Lifeboats of the Clyde Blazing sunshine greeted the launch of the Lifeboats of the Clyde appeal at Glasgow's George Square in August 2003. This appeal is raising funds for all seven lifeboat stations based along the Firth of Clyde, namely: Campbeltown; Girvan; Helensburgh; Largs; Lamlash; Tighnabruiach; and Troon.

The first phase of the appeal focused on Troon. The station's existing alt weather lifeboat was due to be replaced by a Trent and so the first target was £1.3M.

Local volunteers from all the branches and guilds in the Clyde area are working together to support the appeal and are busy organising extra fundraising events.

Stormy Stan has been doing his bit for the ,!|'[v.ii by making appearani es ,iii ovwthe Clyde area - from railway stations early in the morning to primary schools for birthday parties. He has proved very popular, especially when handing out Tunnock's Caramel Wafers as supplied by Appeal Chairman BoydTunnock.

The appeal has also seen the birth of its very own mascot: Sandy the Seadog. Sandy hails from the Channel Islands and is a small floppy dog who proudly wears a navy fleece bearing an embroidered lifeboat and the slogan 'Lifeboats of the Clyde'. Everyone loved Sandy so much that he is now available as an enamel badge.

The appeal reached its first target in just four months, thanks to some extremely generous donations from trusts, individual donors and legacies, and a lot of hard work by local volunteers. The new lifeboat went on station at Troon in February and will be officially named on 19 June 2004.The Lifeboats of the Clyde appeal is a fundraising effort everyone in the Clyde area can be proud of.

North West appeal The North West region is looking into launching an appeal later in 2004 to build a station to house Morecambe's hovercraft. This appeal, with a snappy working title of 'Home for a Hover' should be very much in the public eye as it sadly follows the recent tragedy in which 19 people were lost while cockle picking in Morecambe Bay. Both Morecambe's inshore lifeboat and hovercraft, together with Fleetwood's all weather lifeboat, joined the search for the group of 30 cocklers who were cut off by the tide and stranded in the cold and dark (see our news report on page 27).Operation Whitby Launch and Recovery An appeal to raise £30,000 to fund the launch and recovery equipment for the inshore lifeboat at Whitby lifeboat sui Publicity material for the Whitby launch and recovery appeal Leeds Lifeboat Appeal The North East region has launched a £20,000 appeal in the City of Leeds to fund a new D class lifeboat for the RNLI's relief fleet. This lifeboat, to be named City of Leeds It, will be available to go on station anywhere in the country at a moment's notice and will maintain the strong links between the City of Leeds and the RNLI.

Whitby appeals The North East region has also launched two appeals for Whitby lifeboat station.

The first, to fund new launch and recovery equipment needed for the inshore lifeboat, hit its target of £30,000 within a few months of its launch. Following the success of the first appeal, a second was launched for £80,000 to fund a new pontoon and fuel tank also needed at Whitby.The fund had a surprise boost from overseas when Jan Schaub of Cleveland, Ohio, made contact with the station. Jan was thinking about leaving some money to the RNLI in her will but. when she read about the appeal in the online Whitby Gazette, she thought that a timely donation would be better. Jan wanted to hand over the money personally so she hopped on a plane and was given VIP treatment at Whitby lifeboat station.

Following a guided tour and an impromptu presentation of one of the station's 200th anniversary prints, Jan presented a cheque for £5,000 towards the appeal.

Wales and West Mercia Branches and guilds throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland have been working together to form Lifeboat Coordinating Groups (LCC), which have proved that combined efforts pay dividends. Every inland LCC in the Wales and West Mercia region is now linked to a lifeboat station in the western division and exchange visits are taking place. Members of Shropshire LCC have already visited their link at Barmouth and Birmingham took to the air to link up with the Isle of Man. The Flintshire group is well on its way to the £30,000 target for a new D class lifeboat and crew training.

Eastern region In October 2003 Eastern region launched the Northamptonshire Appeal to fund a FIB1 (Fast Inshore Lifeboat) for Porthcawl lifeboat station. A number of events have raised nearly £6,000 so far. The region is currently planning the launch of the Clacton Appeal to fund a FIB! for the station.

North East region Grace Darling Museum It's not just lifeboats and equipment that the RNLI needs help funding - the Grace Darling Museum in Bamburgh, Northumberland, remains virtually unchanged since its opening in 1938. It is cramped and desperately needs improvement to protect its irreplaceable collection and to cater for visitors in the 21st century.The museum commemorates the bravery of Grace Darling who, in 1838 at only 22 years of age, risked her life in an open boat to save the lives of others.

Grace and her father rowed over a mile through raging seas to reach the survivors of S5 Forfarshire. Tragically, Grace died of tuberculosis only four years after the heroic rescue.

A century later a national campaign helped fund a museum with money provided by the public and individual benefactors. The land was generously provided by the Armstrong Estate. The RNLI became guardian of the collection and has managed and funded the museum since 1938 with the help of the local volunteer committee. The unique collection includes many of Grace's personal belongings, and currently attracts 40,000 visitors a year.

The Grace Darling Museum Appeal for £150,000 will support a heritage lottery bid application and other trust funding to provide a new education centre in the museum. This will help visitors of all ages to learn and appreciate what Grace did and why this is still so relevant today.The new education, resource and community room will be used for research, workshops, talks and events.

These targeted appeals show how the RNLI finds local solutions to local needs.

See our Rescue Statistics feature on pages 24-25 to see how the RNLI uses local and national incident data to fine tune its lifesaving service..