The RNLI lifeboat service in the UK receives no Government funding but we have hundreds of lifeboats to keep running. We support, equip and train thousands of volunteer crew members; and we cover over 19,000 miles of coastline solely on public donations, and the profits raised by our catalogue, online shop and retail shops.

Last year was one of our busiest ever, but our funds are not keeping pace with the growing demand on our service. That’s why we’re so grateful for every penny you spend – and why we thought you might like to know a bit more about where your money goes.

We spend your money where it’s needed most

It costs over £100 million a year just to keep the lifeboat service running, but since we’re here for the long term, we are also busy investing a significant proportion of our income in:

• New lifeboat stations that are better equipped to carry out modern-day rescues – replacing some that have been around for more than a hundred years

• New lifeboats – designed to stand up to the harshest sea conditions

• Crucial training for every single volunteer crew member to keep them – and all those we rescue – safe at sea

Kit list

As well as lifeboats and lifeboat stations, every volunteer crew member relies on having the right kit to go to sea in the most hazardous conditions. Money raised from the gifts you buy can go directly towards these essentials:

• £42 buys a pair of sea boots to help keep crew members sure-footed at sea

• £53 buys a pair of waterproof binoculars to spot casualties at sea

• £350 buys an all-weather life jacket to protect a crew member in the toughest conditions

• £166 buys a safety helmet to  protect crew members’ heads from the worst a cruel sea can throw at them

• £16 buys a pair of seagoing gloves to keep crews hand warm yet are sensitive enough to fine tune a radio

If you’d like to know more about the work of the RNLI, and how we spend the money we raise, please visit www.rnli.org.uk/moneymatters