It is not just the shops that would suffer without volunteers. There are more than 800 RNLI fundraising branches and guilds across the UK and Rol, whose souvenir secretaries operate from stalls at local events, sometimes in the least likely places such as the land-locked cities of Birmingham and Leeds.

This tireless voluntary work helps to publicise the RNLI to members of the public who may, in turn, become RNLI supporters themselves. Possible future volunteers Sam and friends (pictured above) said on a recent visit: 'We love all your gifts and most of all the crab sunglasses. Sorry we bought all your things. Well done for saving lives at sea! The lifeboat is very clean!' Readers will be familiar with the mail order side of the RNLI Sales company's business, through its catalogue (a copy of which may be enclosed with this issue of the magazine) or via the website at rnlishop.org.uk. All mail order profits go directly to the RNLI and saving lives at sea. The biggest seller of 2005, after Christmas cards, was the remote-controlled model of a Severn class lifeboat.

More than 3,000 have been sold - and not just to the young!Rose Ritchie first became involved over 20 years ago with her local lifeboat station shop and it is now one of the charity's most successful 'I moved from Fife to Queensferry with my mother in 1983. The journey to my job as an accounts assistant at Hewlett Packard had become too tiresome and I wanted to spend more time with my mother and less time in the car. We were lucky to move next door to a lady who volunteered for the Queensferry lifeboat station shop and she asked me to help out every so often.

'Over the years, I gave as much time as I could and when I retired in 1996 I was pleased to become Souvenir Secretary. This role entails actually running the shop: ordering stock, pricing items, keeping the shop clean and tidy and displaying our goods. I really enjoy it because it keeps my brain ticking over and I get to meet people of all ages. That's so important now that I have moved into sheltered accommodation.

'I run the shop with Mabel Liel and a handful of other fundraisers whom we call on if necessary. Mabel is very proud of her two sons being on the Queensferry lifeboat crew.

'We also have another helper, my Yorkshire terrier, Judy. She is most put out if I don't bring her along with me! If I can walk her and do what I enjoy it kills two birds with one stone - and she's a big favourite with the lifeboat crew and the customers.

'Our shop consists of a trestle table on wheels. We are right at the front of the boathouse so that we catch passing trade but when the lifeboat is about to launch we swiftly move our table aside. We really brave the elements, as there is no protection. If it gets very wet or windy we move everything into the old mechanics room. The crew kindly put up shelves there so that we can store things properly.

We all work very well together.

'We're well supported by the community and Mabel and I get invited to local businesses to sell our souvenirs. It's nice to get out and about with our trolley. We've just been to a local company and sold to employees there and we did an event in my sheltered accommodation last week and sold £320-worth of goodies. 'In the summer months we get a lot of trade from the holidaymakers.

When the cruise liners come in we make sure we're there the whole day, 9am to 5pm, so that we can make the most of the Loyal volunteer Rose Ritchie holds the fort gOOd fun 35 at Queensferry lifeboat station shopwe meet so many interesting people. A lot of the passengers, many Americans, stop by for a chat and buy our souvenirs. Some even come back just to buy their Christmas cards from us! 'If we need help, we speak to Ross Mackay, our Area Fundraising Manager. He is excellent. He was here the other day and did a slide show about the RNLI for the residents at my sheltered accommodation, which went down extremely well.

'Some people think I'm crazy because I spend so much time, four to five hours a day, at the shop but I just enjoy what I do. In fact, I probably put the same effort into the lifeboats as I did in my working life. It's just the way I am and Mabel's the same: we give 100%. But you can give as much time as you like. It's a nice, quiet way to support the lifeboats.

'And it's all been so worthwhile. In 2004, we made £20,000 in sales and that wouldn't have happened without us doing our bit for the RNLI.' Brian Williams has supported the RNLI for an extraordinary 60 years. He runs the RNLI Music Division 'I first supported the RNLI when I joined the shore helpers at Walmer in the 1940s. I was a young Royal Marine at the time and felt strongly that I should give as much support at the station as I could. I believe that the RNLI is the most astonishing lifeboat service in the world so, in 1991,1 was proud to become Chairman of the local Rame Peninsula fundraising branch.

'We set about commissioning the first official RNLI march, called Marches of the Sea. We had to change our status so that we could legally run as a business. From that time onwards the RNLI Music Division established a reputation for fine quality music and recording.

'It now sells around 20 different CDs, ranging from military, concert, big band and orchestral to choir music. I am particularly proud of TheAshokan Farewell, which was the most requested piece of music on Classic FM for two years.' We have raised about £180,000 for the RNLI.If you would like more information on becoming a Sales volunteer yourself, simply fill in an application form at your local RNLI shop or branch or contact your regional fundraising office (see page 37 for details)..