Anyone been watching this series? Brilliant telly, the RNLI are genuine heroes, every one a volunteer risking their lives for others, and losing them, this is one thing that makes me proud to be British, they will go out and rescue anyone in danger, regardless of who they are, without question.
And some are remarkably stupid.

Me and the missus glued to it – quite compelling TV

Brilliant lads and lasses on call 24/7 “without being judgemental” of the remarkably stupid.

The next programme is much more interesting about psychopath.

I don’t know what it is about it, but I get the proper shivers every time I see a ship actually sinking.

this is one thing that makes me proud to be British,

why do other countries not have volunteer rescue organisations?

The French have something similar yes, the SNSM. Again volunteers support and fund it, though it does get assistance from the French Government.

Norway had a volunteer rescue service of sorts but you had to join it bit like the AA for boats. Thankfully never had to use it.

Ex ALB Lifeboat man here

Very good program which reflects those who are often unseen and unheard of sometimes at your local coastline.

I feel humble to be part of it for the 5years plus I was crew. Some sad times some very very good times. The lads no matter what station are salt of the earth, very down to earth and jovial. But when that pager goes off it’s like a switch being flicked on

A great British institution which does not need any governmental support. Not because that are cash rich but free from the shackles of policy, cut backs etc etc. Being publicly funded allows the RNLI to have free reign on the boats, equipment, stations etc

Very humbling and I encourage everyone to pop your head round the next Lifeboat station you see, you will certainly be welcome and equally amazed

Saw the maroon go up at Whitby a few years ago & was impressed at how quick the LB got away.
Hats off to all lifeboat crew.

& Mountain Rescue for that matter.

The maroons we set off to let the local residents and the crew know the Lifeboat was to be launched in the latter years its being phased out. In olden days they were used prior to the invent of pagers. There may be the odd station that still uses them now

why do other countries not have volunteer rescue organisations?

AFAIAA, no, I think they tend to use Coastguard services, which we also have, but the idea of a completely public-funded rescue service, independent from political interference is unique, which I think is really rather wonderful
There are other, similar volunteer rescue teams as well, like BARB, Burnham Area Rescue Boats, who work the Severn Estuary from Burnham-On-Sea, using RIBs originally, but since a tragedy around twelve years ago when a five yo girl got stuck in the mud some way off-shore on a rising tide. The rescue teams only had boards to lay on the soft mud, which took time, and the tide comes in a 3mph.
Sadly, the little lass drowned.
This lead to a campaign by the Western Daily Press to raise money for the first hovercraft in the region, in the end they were able to buy two, plus enlarge the building to hanger them.
Still entirely staffed by volunteers, they work with the RNLI and coastguard to rescue people out on the mudflats, around Bran Down and Weston-Super-Mare, plus inland flood and missing persons, the hovercraft being ideal around the Somerset Levels.
BARB and the RNLI are two organisations who I always donate to whenever the opportunity presents, along with the local air Ambulance, which is also entirely funded by public donation, since the police helicopter which they shared, was taken away and given to Bristol.
They saved my brother’s life, so they get my money too.
+1 Swelper! The shots of the big Severn Class boat in rough seas is truly breathtaking, and shows just what they’re capable of taking.

Didn’t see this but a great cause I have a DD donation set up for.
And my son insists on buying something from the lifeboat shop to support them every time we see one on hols.

AFAIAA, no, I think they tend to use Coastguard services, which we also have, but the idea of a completely public-funded rescue service, independent from political interference is unique, which I think is really rather wonderful

it was a rhetorical question:

Germany – DGZRS…
Netherlands – KNRM…
Sweden – SSRS
(I believe other Scandinavian countries also have services)
S. Africa – NSRI
Ireland – still the RNLI but not ‘British’…

all operate on a very similar volunteer, donation based approach…

France – SNSM but it is part funded by government,
many more have volunteer lifeboats but where the boat is subsidised by the government but the individuals are still unpaid, on-call responders.

And those are just the ones I know about. We aren’t as unique as we think.

Great program. Not all are volunteer though, there are plenty of full time people. There was a lot of talk of it being a very badly run charity in the last few years, hopefully it’s changed.

They do a fantastic job, on all fronts:

http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/CharityWithPartB.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=209603&SubsidiaryNumber=0

There was a lot of talk of it being a very badly run charity in the last few years, hopefully it’s changed.

It was more to do with the amount they spend on in house design and building, their boats are incredibly expensive to build.

However, the RNLI argue that no-one else can build exactly what they want.

They have also done some fantastic design work, it was the RNLI that funded the design of the first RIBs.

I guess the people complaining sell boats.

It’s a bit like Rupert Murdoch complaining about the BBC.

THE RNLI are an amazing charity who do a superb job

Can you spot what is different about this crew?

They are not RNLI.
A lot of people are unaware of the independent lifeboats all over the country who do the same job but without the financial security that comes from the RNLI.

This article provides a good insight to their work and financial challenges.

the-local-lifeboat-teams-hanging-by-a-thread

I also think spending buckets of money to build a new facility in Poole was seen as “extravagant”
Hence the criticism..

Another non-RNLI lieboat

http://www.boulmerlifeboat.co.uk/current-lifeboat/

The French have something similar yes, the SNSM. Again volunteers support and fund it, though it does get assistance from the French Government.

The RNLI seem to have achieved the status of Nation Treasure, whereas the Coastguard, who do a similar job but are publicly funded are not generally given “hero” status.

The SNSM can, and do, charge for their services when e.g. towing a yacht to safety – not unreasonably if they are performing an AA type role. My only experience was of being towed in was by the Gendarmerie Maritime who were on fishery inspection duties and gave us a tow into St Vaast after we lost a prop to a stray fishing net, with no wind a building tide. Not their job, but very, very welcome.

All are good people doing a great job, and hopefully enjoying it.

A great British institution which does not need any governmental support. Not because that are cash rich but free from the shackles of policy, cut backs etc etc. Being publicly funded allows the RNLI to have free reign on the boats, equipment, stations etc

Mountain rescue have the same philosophy – anything to stay away from being a political football

Mountain rescue have the same philosophy – anything to stay away from being a political football

We do get some public funding for MR in Scotland, in the region of £300k p/a accross the country. We also get some grant funding from thinks like LIBOR (fines for dodgy bankers). The overwhelming majority of funding though is public donation

The RNLI seem to have achieved the status of Nation Treasure, whereas the Coastguard, who do a similar job but are publicly funded are not generally given “hero” status.

Not really similar. The MCA don’t operate lifeboats, they organise SAR, do shore and cliff rescues but don’t do the same job as the RNLI.

There was a lot of talk of it being a very badly run charity in the last few years, hopefully it’s changed.

Hopefully. As in, hopefully the ill-informed talk from people who haven’t got a clue about how to actually run a charity have found new subjects for their ill-informed aspersions.

As far I can make out the criticism was based on them having

a) costs

and

b) reserves

I think (b) might have been somewhat addressed by the fallout from Kids Company when the charity bashers switched from “Bad charity: they don’t spend every penny they receive immediately on doing things” to “Bad charity: they irresponsibly didn’t hold back anything in reserve and spent every penny immediately on doing things”

(a) is an argument you can never win against people who think that as soon as “not for profit” appears in the mission that everything’s free and the whole organisation runs itself on fairy dust and warm sentiment.

I do feel sorry for the non-RNLI lifeboats who struggle to fundraise. Not RNLI’s fault but the reality is that probably the vast majority of the general public think lifeboats are the RNLI and since they’ve bought a pencil or dropped some money in their collecting tins they’ve done their bit.

edlong, there is a ‘c)’ argument I keep hearing in the sector – they’ve done such a good job of fundraising, they don’t really need to any more.

That doesn’t sound like a “very badly run charity” to me!

Although, I’m interested in how that is meant to work – they can’t have enough reserves to fund ongoing operations forever!

I have never, ever stated that I thought they were badly run. Quite the opposite. “Although, I’m interested in how that is meant to work – they can’t have enough reserves to fund ongoing operations forever!” Many grant giving bodies, trusts and foundations do just that and have been running for many generations. Rightly or wrongly (and I believe rightly for the avoidance of doubt) capital investment seems to have been the order of the day (new boats, HQ in Poole, stations etc that will see them in good shape for years to come). The policy seems to be ‘operate to financial scale rather than to demand on service’. An enviable position, and testament to the support and goodwill from the public. I do wonder how much collaboration/distribution of funding there is to the smaller independent inshore operations who are taking on some of the RNLI’s perceived burden.

there is a also a d) argument – it is outrageous to pay the boss of the massive charity a big salary. (despite them being responsible for hundreds of staff, thousands of volunteers and hundreds of millions of pounds of capital and revenue.)

@franksinatra – I was including your (d) as part of my (a). CEO’s salary is always the easiest target for the bashers…

@willjones – thanks for clarifying. But with £273M of long term investments and annual outgoings of £175M that’s not really the case here. Those long-term foundations and trusts do it by giving out a much smaller proportion of their assets – often less than the investment gains on those assets if they’re genuinely aiming for perpetual giving. If the RNLI stopped bringing the money in, they’d run out pretty quickly.

@edlong sorry, was talking historically pre new buildings etc but I don’t really want to go here. So I will just enjoy the TV programme and be very grateful to whoever may have to pick me and my broken little boat out of the water one day.

I worked for the RNLI in Poole for a couple of years – it is not badly run or wasteful, the new buildings make financial sense and the people who work there are some of the best I have known.

In fact if they’d had a pay structure that came close to the commercial/business world I’d still be there; most fulfilling job I’ve had.

And the crews are great.

@willjones – Aye, the charity / money / salaries arguments are well rehearsed and there are several previous threads where they’re covered in more than enough depth!

Love the programme – watched it last night stuck on a train outside euston. Did seem to get a bit dusty at the end. Fantastic charity.

The programme, however, is a bit pants. Last night’s had a typo in it. They seem to be able to make a harrowing / fascinating / beautiful story very bland. It’s cheap n cheerful identikit documentary making (but at least they don’t do that bloody annoying thing where the stories are split up and interwoven).

Eg the weather scenes – lots of split between pics of a Severn class bouncing through waves interspersed with the real action in much rougher and miserable conditions. Lots of the same pics of broken yacht. Then the shots of cows being lassoed out of a cave were woefully brief.

QV Rescue off of the 80’s/90’s for comparison (Big yellow taxis) and available on YouTube. (Just checked – ain’t there anymore). In depth, on board cameraman. Watch the episode “we never say never” for an example…

Not really similar. The MCA don’t operate lifeboats, they organise SAR, do shore and cliff rescues but don’t do the same job as the RNLI.

There is overlap. SAR (search and rescue for those not in on the jargon) includes rescue, which is pretty much what lifeboats do. They often work in partnership of course and a helicopter is brilliant for picking up an injured person and getting them to hospital.

As I said all these people do a hugely worthwhile job, including my friends for life the froggy maritime rozzers with their flashing blue lights and better fitting uniforms. But the lifeboats win the romantic image every time.

Incidentally I found that TV programme dull watching. Somehow the commentary sounds a bit desperate in all these reality/action programmes.

And those are just the ones I know about. We aren’t as unique as we think.

That’s good to know, it’s something that doesn’t get publicised here, I guess because there’s rarely any rescues of British people that get much media attention.
Second the small independent boats, I mentioned BARB, because they’re (relatively) local, and the fact they’re one of the few to operate hovercraft, the beach conditions are particularly suited to the craft, due to the distance the tide goes out, about a mile on a six mile long beach, that’s easily accessed by lots of people.
I’m personally of the opinion that there should be a stupidity charge for some people, like those who ignore the warning signs and get stuck in the mud, or those who drive cars out and get them stuck.
I’d be interested in what others think about that.