In 2012 there were 8321 lifeboat launches, which rescued and average of 22 people a day. 49% of launches were to leisure craft users, 20% to people ashore, 13% to people in the water, 10% to merchant or fishing vessels and 8% to other sea users. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboats, and since 2001, its lifeguards, have saved more than 140,000 lives. Lifeboats cost from £39,000 (D Class) to £2.7m for a Tamar Class and to equip an offshore crewman costs around £800.  

The RNLI has its own purpose built college in Poole with specialist facilities including bespoke training boats and a purpose-built mission simulator. A survival centre hosts the trainee crew courses where, in the wave pool, complete darkness, thunder, lightning, and helicopter recovery can all be simulated to very real effect.

All of this doesn't come cheaply...It costs around £385,000 a day to run the RNLI...all of which comes from public donations. We hope to contribute a few hundred pounds to this, so please come down on Saturday and help support this astonishing organisation.