Money matters

The RNLI is a charity operating a professional 24/7 search and rescue organisation that covers 19,000 miles of coastline in the UK and RoI.

We need reserves to guarantee the future of our service - this requires long-term investment in new lifeboat stations with an estimated lifespan of 50 years and lifeboats with planned operational lives of up to 30 years.

Thanks to our successful fundraising, our prudent investment policy, and public generosity we have been able to plan and complete major capital projects - even in difficult economic conditions. But our free reserves are at their lowest level in real terms since 1996.

Our crews are proud of their lifeboats and maintain them well because their lives, and the lives of others, depend on them. They may look new but 39 of our all-weather lifeboats are over 20 years old.

Lifeboat stations can appear costly because they are built to last - often in remote, exposed locations and are subject to extreme weather conditions. This means their design, construction methods and materials can be expensive.

We took £11.6M out of our investments in 2010 to pay for new lifeboats and lifeboat stations.

Lifeguard patrols are expanding, essential RNLI service - every penny spent on training and equipping our lifeguards helps save lives on UK beaches.

Running costs

Our total running costs were £145.4M in 2010. For every £1 spent by the RNLI in 2010, 84p was on operations and 16p was on generating voluntary income. Our lifesavers need and deserve the right equipment and craft to carry out rescues.

Crew kit costs

• gloves - £16
• yellow wellies - £42
• inshore lifeboat crew member full kit - £909
• all-weather lifeboat crew member full kit - £896

Station direct costs (2010 average)

• all-weather station £225,000
• inshore station - £90,000
• full-time Thames stations - £500,000

Fleet costs

• Lifeguards inshore rescue boat - £9,500
• D class inshore lifeboat - £39,000
• B class Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat - £180,000
• Annual maintenance of Severn class all-weather lifeboat - £78,600
• Tamar class all-weather lifeboat - £2.7M

Where the money goes

Rescue
Sustaining and developing rescue cover to ensure effective saving of life throughout all areas of operation. Cost: £64.2M in 2010.

Operational maintenance
Ensuring that lifeboats, lifesaving equipment and shore facilities are maintained in a verifiably safe manner and kept in a state of immediate readiness. Cost: £49.6M in 2010.

Prevention (Coastal safety)
Reducing loss of life by changing attitudes and behaviour through education. Cost: £4M in 2010.

Cost of generating voluntary income
Raising sufficient funds to enable the RNLI to save lives now and in the future. Cost: £23M in 2010.

Governance
Central administration and compliance costs. Cost £0.6M in 2010.

Innovation (Lifeboat design)
Persuing innovative ways of extending the role of the RNLI to save more lives, providing better support for crews and assisting in saving lives on water worldwide. Cost £4M in 2010

Where the money comes from

• Legacies £90.6M
• Fundraised income £51.5M
• Merchandising, investment and lifeguard income £11.5M

Reserves

Free reserves stood at £80.1M at the end of 2010, equivalent to just 8 months expenditure.

 
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