'Joining
a lifeboat crew is a real commitment, our volunteers
have to be on call 24/7. At the same time it is
an excellent way of giving something back to the
community. What
could be more rewarding than saving a life?'
Peter Muxworthy,
RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager
'Prospective
crew don't need any professional qualifications
or experience. Less than 10% of lifeboat crew
come from maritime backgrounds, so the RNLI provides
the very best training to ensure they are well
equipped to deal with a variety of situations.'
The
RNLI has a national crew training campaign
Train one, save many, which
aims to raise £10M over a five year period
to fund the training of its lifeboat crews.
RNLI crews at 233 lifeboat stations around the
coast of the UK and the Republic of Ireland train
on average twice a week. This training is also
supported by mobile training units, distance learning
and, for vital core training courses, crew members
attend The Lifeboat College in Poole.
The RNLIs annual running costs are around
£119M approximately £327,000
per day and, as a registered charity, the
organisation continues to rely on voluntary contributions
and legacies for income. The majority of RNLI
crews are volunteers whose everyday jobs include
doctors, teachers, housewives, hairdressers, and,
of course, fishermen.
Training, which turns RNLI volunteers into lifesavers
costs the RNLI £1,000 per year, per crew
member.
20%
of proceeds from sales of the Inchape print editions
will be put into the Angus Crew Training Fund,
helping to support the training of our local Arbroath
and Montrose lifeboat crew members.
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