Best foot forward Hundreds of schools and businesses supported the RNLI's annual Save Our Soles day on Friday 27 January 2006.

From Sennen Cove to Shetland, from Larne to Lowestoft and from Beaumaris to Ballyglass, individuals donated £1 or €2 to wear their trainers to school or work. Some added other fundraising activities to the occasion: Umberleigh Community Primary School in North Devon combined the day with a big breakfast and invited RNLI Lifeguard Ben Ridding to join them over sausage and beans to chat to the pupils about beach safety. At RNLI headquarters in Poole, more than £13,000 was raised through sponsored go-karting.

Over 50,000 SOS day packs were mailed and early indications are that income from RNLI SOS day 2006 will top the tens of thousands raised in 2005 towards RNLI crew training around the coast of the UK and Republic of Ireland.

For information on SOS day 2007, please call 0845 121 4999 (UK) or 1800 789 589 (Rol); email: [email protected] or visit: rnli.org.uk/sos.

RNLI SOSTrain one, save many A lavish reception was held in January at Dundas Castle, one of Scotland's most beautiful and historic castles, at the kind invitation of Sir Jack Stewart Clark, the Honorary President of Queensferry RNLI branch.

The evening won support for the RNLI's crew training Train one, save many' campaign, from leaders of industry, corporate representatives, and trusts and funds as well as individual high-level donors.

It costs more than £1,000 or €1,400 every year to train each RNLI crew member. Scotland has 750 crew members, at 44 lifeboat stations. The country has four regional crew training appeals: the Lifeboats of the Clyde appeal is now nearing its £250,000 target; the Forth Approaches Crew Training (FACT) campaign has raised over a third of its £250,000 target in just six months and a local trust has pledged £75,000 over the next three years. The North East Crew Training Appeal (NECTA) with a target of £250,000, and the Angus Crew Training (ACT) with a target of £20,000, will be launching soon.

If you would like to know more about these appeals, please contact the RNLI's Scottish office (see page 31).The people of Birmingham couldn't live further from the coast yet they have a long and passionate commitment to the RNLI. They have funded no fewer than 50 lifeboats in the Institution's 182-year history and now they're aiming for their 51 stIn the financial year 2004/2005, Birmingham fundraising branches raised more than £92,000 and branches in the wider West Midlands £105,000. Strong links have been forged between the landlocked city and several coastal communities in the south west of England and in Wales, not least Angle in Pembrokeshire (see page 17 for location).

An early slipway-launched lifeboat was donated to Angle by the Birmingham branch in the 1900s. Now, almost a hundred years on, the city is involved with Angle once again, this time with an ambitious campaign to raise half of the £2M needed for a Tamar class lifeboat for the village.

But what is it that rouses such enthusiasm for the RNLI in these city dwellers? It can't be the recollection of dramatic rescues on their doorsteps or their admiration for loved ones or neighbours leaving their beds to rescue strangers in peril on the sea. Jerry Rees, Coxswain at Angle, explains that Brummie supporters are no strangers to the lifeboat station: Visitors from Birmingham and the surrounding area often visit us and it's great to know that they are willing to take such an active and positive role to support us.' In contrast to the massive West Midlands conurbation, Angle's population is less than 400. Of these, 36 are RNLI crew members or otherwise involved with the lifeboat station. The demands on these few individuals are disproportionately high so the benefits of teaming up with the resources available in Birmingham are all the more valuable.

Jerry explains how the community will also benefit from the new lifeboat: The majority of our shouts are to large commercial vessels more than 50 miles offshore and so can be very lengthy. The new Tamar class is significantly faster and more manoeuvrable in heavy seas than our current Tyne class, The Lady Rank, but also safer and more comfortable for the crew. It can even carry up to 100 survivors, so we are confident we can provide as much assistance as might be called for.' Lifeboat Operations Manager John Allen- Mirehouse is also eagerly awaiting the new lifeboat: 'The Tamar will enable faster response times and, with its position higher on the waterline, will provide a better search facility - it really is state of the art. All the RNLI's experience has been• Aston University Student Rag Committee presented the Angle appeal with £1,500 from their annual fundraising proceeds.

The Royal Bank of Scotland's employee Scott Rogers suggested a staff fundraising competition in aid of the appeal. The winning team was led by colleague Helen Clifford, who is Treasurer of the RNLI's Erdington branch. Activities as diverse as dress-down days, cake baking and mask making brought in £250, which was then match funded by their employer.

The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Chancellor John Hood, and the local Birmingham Evening Mail, threw their weight behind the appeal at a reception in March.

Historian Lesley Smith, curator of Tutbury Castle, gave an after-dinner talk in Sutton Coldfield in the style and persona of Charles M's mistress Nell Cwynne. The fun-filled evening resulted in more than £1,000 towards the new lifeboat.

Closer to theTamar's home-to-be in Pembrokeshire, local supporters are also busy to ensure the appeal tops its target. Fiona Phillips, of local newspaper The Western Telegraph, has kindly agreed to help publicise the appeal.

utilised to progress with the technology and design. This means more lives saved - which is what we all work for.' If supporters in Birmingham were still at all unsure about theTamar after such glowing recommendations, they had the opportunity to see the first of the class, the Lesley-Jane Nicholson up close at the Boat, Caravan and Outdoor Show at the NEC in February.

Crass-roots fundraising events for the appeal began back in October to coincide with SeaBritain 2005 and the Trafalgar commemorations. A Sea Prom concert at the Adrian Boult Hall raised more than £5,700 and RNLI branches across the wider Wales and West Mercia region tucked into 30 or soTrafalgar-themed dinners to boost coffers by over £15,000.

The ways and means of fundraising may have changed since the people of Birmingham funded its first RNLI lifeboat for Angle in the early 1900s but as the city tackles its £1M target to help fund the most technically advanced lifeboat in the RNLI's fleet, one thing has remained consistent - the generosity of its people.

For more information on theTamar appeal for Angle and to donate, see rnli.org.uk/tamar4angle.Want to fundraise? What's happening near you? Scotland RNLI, Unit 3, Ruthvenfield Grove Inveralmond Industrial Estate Perth, PH1 3CL Tel: 01738 642999 Email: [email protected] Eastern RNLI, Magdalen Road, Hadleigh, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP7 SAD Tel: 01473 822837 Email: [email protected] Greater London RNLI, 20 Buckingham Street, London, WC2N6EF Tel: 020 7839 3369 Email: [email protected] South East RNLI, Kennet House, River Way, Uckfield, Sussex, TN22 1SL Tel: 01825 761466 Email: [email protected] Southwest RNLI, Unit A, Longacre, Saltash, Cornwall, PL126LZ Tel: 01752 850680 Email: [email protected] Wales and West Mercia RNLI, 9 Drake Walk, Brigantine Place Cardiff, CF104AN Tel: 029 2045 6999 Email: [email protected] North RNLI, 18 Half Edge Lane, Eccles, Manchester, M30 9CJ Tel: 0161 7878779 Email: [email protected] Republic of Ireland RNLI, Airside, Swords, Co Dublin Tel: 01 8951 800 Email: [email protected] Northern Ireland RNLI, Unit 1, Lesley Office Park, 393 Holywood Road, Belfast, BT4 2LS Tel: 028 9047 3665 Email: [email protected] angel The Lifeboat Fund has been supporting the work of the RNLI for over 140 years. Amazingly, it has now paid for its 46th lifeboat, the IB1-type D class Guard/an Angel, which entered the relief fleet in October 2005. She will provide essential service when station lifeboats are away for maintenance (see the winter 2005/06 issue of the Lifeboat for more on refits and repairs in the inshore fleet).

The Fund began life as the Civil Service Lifeboat Fund, changed to CISPOTEL, and is now officially the Communications and Public Service Lifeboat Fund or The Lifeboat Fund for short. The hard work and commitment of its fundraisers has remained the same, however, with contributions flowing from an annual appeal and payroll and pension payroll giving schemes for serving and retired civil servants, Royal Mail pensioners and BT staff.Hovering at the ready Thanks to his generous legacy, John Russell will be remembered across the country through the rescue hovercraft named after him.

Mr Russell was a keen sailor and greatly admired the work of the volunteer crews who risk their lives to save others. Now, H-006 John Russell has entered the RNLI's relief fleet and is ready at a moment's notice to replace any of the active hovercraft at Morecambe, Hunstanton, Southend-on-Sea and New Brighton stations. (See page 19 for news of an unusual service at Morecambe.) When not in service the eponymous hovercraft is based at Poole and used in crew training.

Six out of ten launches to save lives at sea are only possible because of people like John Russell who remember the RNLI in their Will. For more information on legacies, see page 34.'Every little helps' For over a decade Tesco has allowed the RNLI to hold a national collection in alternate years outside its stores, raising over £1M in the process. Tesco's RNLI 2006 days will be 26 and 27 May.

As Sir Terry Leahy, the Chief Executive of Tesco, says: 'The idea of "Every little helps" can become very powerful when everyone pulls in the same direction. We hope the RNLI raises a great deal of money in 2006 to help save even more lives at sea.' Can you give the RNLI two hours of your spare time on either day to help collect at a local Tesco store? For more information or to volunteer, contact your nearest regional office (see page 31).TheLifeboattalks to Natalie Ness, the RNLI's new Legacy Campaign Manager You've worked for the RNLI in various roles for eight years now. What attracted you to this area of fundraising? charities for the greater good. Readers may remember seeing the legacy advertisements in newspapers and on television featuring Michael Buerk - such a high-visibility campaign isn't something any one charity could have afforded on their own.

Does a legacy gift need to be a large amount? A Many people think that they wouldn't be able to afford a gift to charity after providing for their families but legacy gifts don't need to be large. A crew member could have a year's training for £1,000 but £30 could buy a navigation light on their lifeboat. A 1,000hp lifeboat engine would need a gift of about £75,000 but £450 could buy an anchor. Every gift counts.

What are the tax implications of leaving a charity bequest? I have always been very proud to work at the RNLI. Everyone involved with the RNLI is proud of the service and of the fact that we are a charity. Long after we all move on, legacies will be coming in, allowing the RNLI to continue its lifesaving work.

Why are legacies so important to the RNLI ? In the new tax year 2006/07, the first £285,000 of a person's estate is exempt from Inheritance Tax but any amount over that threshold is subject to tax at 40%. Gifts in Wills to charity are also free of tax.

This means you could leave £285,000-worth of your estate to your family and any balance to your chosen charities and avoid paying any Inheritance Tax.

More than 60% of our income comes from gifts in Wills so the majority of lifeboat launches are only possible because of the generous foreward-thinking of our supporters. Last year was our busiest yet [see page 12 for more details - Ed] and fewer volunteers come from a professional maritime background these days, meaning extra expense in training. All in all, legacy income is more important than ever before in the RNLI's history.

The RNLI is involved in the 'Remember a charity' campaign.

Can you tell us more? A Only one in seven UK Wills contain any kind of charitable gift.

'Remember a charity' enables us to work together with other If someone wants to leave a gift in their Will to the RNLI, what should they do? A It's really easy to leave a gift, whether a fixed amount, an item of jewellery or a percentage of an estate. If readers would like to find out more, they can call John Marshall, our Legacy Enquiries Officer, on 01202 663032 or visit our website at rnli.org.uk. We'll make sure you receive helpful, practical advice about making or updating a Will to include a gift to the RNLI. Thank you so much to all those who have already supported us in this way.

V.