The Communications and Public Service Lifeboat Fund (The Lifeboat Fund for short) is an official charity of the Civil Service, Royal Mail and BT. The Fund supports the work of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in saving lives at sea by raising money to provide new lifeboats and fund Crew Training in Northern Ireland. Since it was founded in 1866, The Lifeboat Fund has helped refurbish a new lifeboat station on the River Thames and provided 49 new lifeboats for the RNLI saving over 4,400 lives.
Money is collected from both serving and retired Civil Servants, and staff and pensioners from Royal Mail and BT.
- There are some 4800 lifeboat crews around the around the country including over 300 women.
- Every day it costs £335k to run the RNLI, every penny of which comes from voluntary contributions and legacies.
- RNLI crews are funded almost entirely by voluntary donations.
- The RNLI provides a 24-hour service around the coast of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
- Last year the RNLI saved 8015 lives.