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Our boats
The Lifeboat Fund has funded 53 lifeboats over the years. Below are the boats, a pier and a hovercraft that remain in service in 2019.
Civil Service No.53
Our latest boat is Duke of Edinburgh, a state-of-the-art all-weather Shannon class, which will go into service at Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk. The Shannon is equipped with water jets and can be launched and recovered from the beach and has a maximum speed of 25 knots and a range of 250 nautical miles. The lifeboat is also the latest of the RNLI's Launch A Memory boats.
D-738 David Roulston - Civil Service No.52
David Roulston went into service in September 2010 at the Portrush Lifeboat Station, Northern Ireland. The lifeboat is a D-class lifeboat, measuring five metres in length. She was named in memory of David Roulston, a Northern Ireland Tourist Board official who drowned tragically off the Antrim coast in 2005. The lifeboat can carry three crew and is a fast, light-weight inflatable that is compact and highly manoeuvrable. This makes her ideal for rescue close to shore in moderate conditions. If she capsizes she can be righted manually by the lifeboat crew.
B-837 Charles Dibdin - Civil Service No.51
Charles Dibdin went into service on 13 November 2009 at the New Brighton Lifeboat Station, Merseyside. The lifeboat is an Atlantic 85 rigid inflatable lifeboat and was named after Charles Dibdin, one of the founders of The Lifeboat Fund in 1866 who later went on to become RNLI Secretary. The Atlantic 85 can be crewed by three or four people, with a top speed of 35 knots.
New Brighton RNLI @RNLINewBrighton
B-826 Sgt. Bob Martin - Civil Service No.50
Sgt Bob Martin went into service on 4 December 2008 at the Poole Lifeboat Station, Dorset. The lifeboat is named in memory of Sgt. Bob Martin, a Chelsea Pensioner who raised £200,000 for the RNLI. Sgt. Bob Martin is an Atlantic 85 rigid inflatable lifeboat. She can be crewed by three or four people, and carry up to 20 survivors. As of September 2018, the boat is temporarily off the station for a refit.
BB-697 Stranraer Saviour - Civil Service No.49
Stranraer Saviour went into service on 5 June 2008 at the Stranraer Lifeboat Station, Scotland. The lifeboat is a D-class. She carries a crew of three and is used primarily for surfer/swimmer incidents as well as assisting in cliff incidents where the casualty is near the water. The very nature of her work requires a swift response, and the lifeboat can normally be afloat within five minutes of the call going out.
B-806 Mudeford Servant - Civil Service No.48
Mudeford Servant went into service on 22 September 2006 at the Mudeford Lifeboat Station, Dorset. She is a rigid inflatable lifeboat with a manually operated self-righting mechanism and is capable of being beached in an emergency without sustaining damage to engines or steering gear. The lifeboat is fitted with radar and VHF direction finding equipment and can be operated safely in daylight in a force 6/7 gale and at night in a force 5/6.
Lifeboat Pier
One of the RNLI's principal lifeboat stations on the River Thames, the Pier was opened officially on Monday, 8 May 2006. Sir Kevin Tebbit, then Chair of The Lifeboat Fund, performed the ceremony. It is the home of Tower RNLI.
The Lifeboat Fund provided £400,000 towards the cost of the refurbishment of Lifeboat Pier. This lifeboat station replaced the old one at Tower Pier. Lifeboat Pier provides much needed quiet and spacious accommodation for the lifeboat crew on one of the busiest stretches of water in the country. Public Servant, the E-class lifeboat provided by The Fund in 2002 for saving lives on the River Thames, was stationed at Lifeboat Pier.
H-003 Hunstanton Flyer - Civil Service No.45
Hunstanton Flyer is stationed at Hunstanton, Norfolk and went into service on 25 July 2003. The lifeboat - a hovercraft - was provided at a cost of £122,000 and is a Griffon 470SAR, developed in conjunction with the RNLI's Technical Department specifically for search and rescue purposes. The hovercraft is 7.75m in length, carries a crew of three and has a top speed of 30 knots with a range of three hours at maximum speed.
Hunstanton RNLI @RNLIHunstanton
ON1237 Fraser Flyer - Civil Service No.43
Fraser Flyer (Civil Service No. 43) entered the relief fleet in February 1999. Her name was chosen to acknowledge the work of a Lifeboat Fund Chairman, Sir Angus Fraser, who died in 2001. This Severn Class boat was provided at a cost to The Fund of £879,750. In 2018, she was launched into service from Humber and Tynemouth Lifeboat Stations.
ON1204 Windsor Runner - Civil Service No.42
Windsor runner is a Trent Class boat in the RNLI's reflief fleet. She was so named to commemorate the fundraising success of the 12 half marathon races held at Windsor Great Park each year up to 1995. She was originally stationed at Blyth in Northumberland on 01 December 1995. She was purchased at a cost to The Fund of £693,698. In 2018 she was predominantly based at Dunmore East Lifeboat Station in County Waterford. In Spring 2019, she was undergoing a refit in the RNLI's All Weather Lifeboat Centre in Poole.
History
We are The Lifeboat Fund – we are a charity that exists for one purpose: to help the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) - the charity that saves lives at sea. Over many years we have done this by raising money to pay for new lifeboats, refurbishing lifeboat stations and boats, and buying crew kit, equipment & training for RNLI volunteer lifeboat crews and lifeguards.
Previous Appeals
2013
The 2013 Lifeboat Fund Appeal focused its support on crew safety and the target for that year was £185,000.
The RNLI asked The Fund to raise sufficient donations to cover the cost of a full kit for one crew member at every lifeboat station in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This meant our goal for each lifeboat crew kit we provided was £770.
Although it sounded like a challenge, it was a challenge The Lifeboat Fund was keen to accept - and the charity delivered!
2012
In 2012, nearly £120,000 was raised across the UK by The Lifeboat Fund to help support the RNLI and three priorities it asked us to support.
The focus of fundraising in Scotland was to raise money to kit out crew members in the latest safety lifejackets.
A second priority was to fundraise for lifeguard training of one person at every UK RNLI-lifeguarded beach.
We also paid maintenance costs at lifeboat stations where The Fund's boats were in service - to keep them in top condition.
2011
The Lifeboat Fund was extremely grateful to all who responded to the popular theme of its 2011 UK Appeal.
The total raised by The Fund that year - to help train and kit out lifeboat crews around the UK - was £122,000.
Training and crew kit are vital and it cost more than £1,200. In 2011 to train each member of the crew. Equipping these volunteers for their protection cost over £1,100 for an inshore kit and about £1,130 for an all-weather kit.
Fundraising
Fundraising at work
Fundraising at work for the Lifeboat Fund is a great way to bring people together whilst supporting a worthy cause. We understand that every work place is different and events which are very successful for some may not be right for others. We've put together a list of tried and tested activities to give you some inspiration. Whatever your idea of fun, we can help with some great fundraising suggestions.
Dress down day
Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best! Everyone loves ditching their suits in return for a small fee. Why not go one better and have a fancy dress theme? Something nautical would fit well with The Fund’s focus. Wannabe pirates will jump at the chance to wear their striped jumpers and neckerchiefs to work!
Wear your wellies to work
The yellow welly is an iconic image for the RNLI. Why not nominate a day for ‘wear your wellies to work’ and encourage people to join in by wearing theirs, for a suggested donation?
Quiz Night
Hold a themed quiz and charge a small entry fee for teams. Get competitive with prizes for the winning teams, and raise even more money by selling snacks or drinks.
Sponsored 'give it up'
Whether it’s talking, chocolate, fizzy drinks or computer games, you could raise a small fortune by asking for sponsorship to give up something you love.
Auction of promises
Get your staff to auction off their services and create a bidding war. From simple ideas such as offering to wash someone’s car, or sharing your hidden talent for baking, to bigger promises such as a ride in your sports car or a stay in your holiday cottage. This is a great way to uncover your colleagues’ hidden skills and interests whilst raising money at the same time.
Guess the amount/name/weight
Simply fill a jar with sweets and ask people to guess the quantity in return for a small fee. You could also try a guess the name of the teddy or the baby picture game. These quick and simple ideas require minimal time and effort, but generate great results.
Keep it legal
Charity fundraising is regulated. Some of your events may require a licence, permit or permission before you go ahead. Keep health and saftey in mind, and if there's food involved, make sure you follow food hygiene practice. There's more details and some useful links on page 11 of our fundraising leaflet.
If you have a Fundraising idea why not get involved and let us know!
Posters
Get involved
We organise numerous fundraising activities throughout the year and right across the UK. If you want to know more about how you can get involved, we can put you in touch with Lifeboat Fund supporters in your area.
There are other national and regional events, such as bike races and half marathons, that you can get involved with and raise money for the Lifeboat Fund. We have published a list here. Let us know when you've secured a place and we'll put you in touch with supporters in your area and help with publicity and branded materials.
Stories
Over the coming weeks we will be publishing latest stories from our fundraisers and RNLI crew to keep you up to date.