Serving the entire Westcountry coastline, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution saves hundreds of lives every year from disasters at sea. Founded in 1824 by Sir William Hillary as the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, there have been countless examples of courage, selflessness and dedication qualities still shown by the volunteer crew members, shore helpers and fundraisers of the RNLI. Since its formation, the RNLI lifeboats have saved more than 137,000 lives.Today, the red and yellow lifesavers are a familiar site on our beaches and at lifeboat rescue stations along the Westcountry coast.

The charity forms a solid and integral part of the emergency services, yet unlike the police, fire and the paramedics it depends totally on donations. The RNLI not only delivers inshore and offshore lifeboat protection, but also operates 62 lifeguard units, 42 of which are in the South West. Together, the lifeguards, coastguards and lifeboat crew provide an integrated rescue service from the beach to the open sea. Spokesman Tamsin Thomas said: We are a charity and rely entirely upon public donations to keep the lifeboats afloat. Lifeboats cost between £29,000 and £2.5 million plus there is the cost of state-of-the-art rescue equipment and training.

RNLI South West
Unit A, Longacre
Saltash
Cornwall
PL12 6LZ
Tel: 01752 850680

www.rnli.org.uk

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