More rescues than ever, a stormy economic climate, and plans to save more lives in the future: the RNLI’s AGM in May addressed a host of challenges …

Ladies and Gentlemen, set against everything we do is that continuing myth that we absolutely must dispel – the myth that we have more money than we need,’ said RNLI Chairman Admiral the Lord Boyce, speaking to RNLI Governors and members at the charity’s 2010 AGM in the Barbican, London, on 27 May.

The Chairman was referring to members of the public who may have seen the RNLI’s impressive new stations or well-kept lifeboats and accuse the charity of being profligate. But, as he pointed out, lives are at stake, and the RNLI’s lifeboat and lifeguard services are massive 24-hour operations. The charity’s equipment, lifeboats and facilities have to be of the highest standard if lifeboat crews and lifeguards are to continue to save lives around 19,000 miles of coastline.

Thanks to the RNLI’s generous supporters and fundraisers, the RNLI receives considerable funds. Despite the recession, raised voluntary income reached £51.8M last year (1.1% less than in 2008), and legacies totalled £93.8M. But those funds are needed to meet running costs, which were £147.7M in 2009. ‘We must keep our volunteer crew members – who are based at 235 lifeboat stations – fully equipped and trained if they are to respond round the clock, throughout the year,’ said the Chairman, reminding the audience that 2009 was the RNLI’s busiest on record, with lifeboat crews launching 9,223 times.

Preparing lifesavers is not cheap, explained the Chairman, adding that the prospect of volunteers going without the skills and equipment they need does not bear thinking about. ‘We give our crews the best, so they can save themselves, as well as others,’ he said, recalling the capsize of the Wexford inshore lifeboat off the south east coast of Ireland in November 2009 in rough seas. In that incident, two of the three volunteer crew members managed to stay with the lifeboat and were picked up by the Irish Coast Guard helicopter. The third, though, was separated from the lifeboat and, over the following 2 hours, the helicopter and other lifeboats searched for him. Rosslare RNLI lifeboat crew eventually spotted him and pulled him to safety. The Coast Guard helicopter winched him aboard and he made a full recovery. ‘The fact that all three crew members survived the incident was thanks, in no small part, to the excellent standard of training and equipment we’re able to provide,’ said the Chairman. ‘The crew had the lifejackets, protective clothing and knowledge to keep them safe. And that, in turn, is thanks to support we have from you.’

Another misinterpretation that can lead people to think the RNLI has more than it needs is the amount of money allocated to its free reserves. These guarantee the future of the RNLI’s lifesaving service and, as the Lifeboat went to press, the free reserve balance was at £86M. This is a lot of money – but it’s only enough to run the RNLI for 8 months.

Moving forward

Advancements in marine technology have made it possible for the RNLI’s craft to be safer and faster than ever. The RNLI’s 25-knot £2.7M Tamar class lifeboat is the most capable craft of its kind, and Lord Boyce reported that three Tamars were placed on service in 2009. He emphasised that bringing the charity’s allweather fleet up to 25 knots is an operational priority, but the RNLI cannot yet afford to provide lifeboats of this calibre to all the crews who need them. ‘Next time you meet someone who says we have lots of shiny, expensive new lifeboats, you might like to tell them this: the average age of our all-weather fleet is 14 years. Twenty eight of our all-weather lifeboats are more than 20 years old. And yes, they are all shiny.

That’s because they’re maintained proudly by the crews whose lives, and the lives of others, may one day depend on them! A well-maintained boat saves money too – it’s out of respect to the generous donors who provided them.’

New lifeboats cannot be effective without the right shore facilities, such as boathouses, pontoons and slipways, and the Chairman pointed out that the cost of building, maintaining and adapting shoreworks can be high. After all, they are built to last for 60 years or more in locations that are often remote, exposed or in areas of special status. This all adds to design, construction, material and maintenance costs.

Another lifesaving priority for the RNLI is the expansion of its lifeguard service, which is this year patrolling beaches in the north west of England for the first time. ‘Our lifeguards have assisted more than 84,000 people since they first patrolled, 9 years ago,’ said the Chairman. ‘Many would have drowned were it not for the lifeguards, so it is an essential, core RNLI service … they aided almost 16,000 people last year, but reached even more through their vigilance. Their advice, their warnings, their safety flags – they undoubtedly prevented tragedies.’

So the RNLI has two urgent, costly priorities: more capable lifeboats and more lifeguard patrols. To meet these targets, the RNLI is relying on supporters and fundraisers more than ever, while its staff is working hard to make the charity even more efficient and effective. ‘We are doing this with the help of an improvement programme, known as Lean,’ explained Lord Boyce. ‘It’s a management practice that will allow us to become very much more efficient and flexible in what we do. For example, at first, it took SAR Composites Ltd – our all-weather lifeboat hull construction company – 18,000 staff hours to build a Tamar hull. Following the Lean transformation, it now takes only 13,500 hours. So, starting this year, every area of the RNLI is going be examined using the Lean methodology. This is to ensure we remain efficient, effective and use our resources in the best possible way to meet our objectives.’ (See the Autumn 2009 issue of the Lifeboat magazine for more on Lean.)

The resources that are saved through Lean will help the RNLI achieve a third, longer-term priority: to  step up prevention work, and reach more people with safety messages before they go to sea. This is reflected in the RNLI’s new Vision: ‘to end preventable loss of life at sea.’ (See Welcome on page 1 for the RNLI’s new Vision and Values in full). Lord Boyce ended his address by thanking supporters and volunteers for helping the RNLI to answer the call time and time again. ‘You have already shown a great deal of commitment to our cause,’ he said. ‘With your continued support, we will save many more lives at sea.’