Last week we posted about the RNLI sending letters to residents of the Southport Area asking for donations to their Perfect Storm appeal.

We wish to share with you a letter we have sent to the Cheif Executive of the RNLI expressing our feelings towards their approach.

Thank you for your continued support.

It is with dismay that I write this letter to you. Southport Offshore Rescue Trust is the organisation that manages the Southport Independent Lifeboat service along the Merseyside and West Lancashire coastline between the Rivers Ribble and Mersey.

We have been in operation for over 30 years and in April this year we became the first independent Lifeboat service to be recognised as a fully "Declared Facility" under the new Rescue Boat Code of Practice regulations.

During the past 30 years we have fundraised continually and campaigned tirelessly to make the residents of our area and holiday visitors aware of the difference between our Independent service and your National organisation.


So far we have been very successful in providing this awareness and have managed to raise sufficient funds to operate two lifeboats and their respective launch vehicles, plus two quad ATV's for our land and mud rescue services.

We have also recently embarked on a project to build a new Lifeboat Station to house all our equipment and to provide 21st century facilities to our volunteer crew.

However, this week on every doorstep in our town and surrounding areas your 'Perfect Storm' campaign letter has landed, this included the doorsteps of all our Lifeboat Crew and dedicated volunteers.

Imagine the dismay and anger this will have caused them, as we know from past experience this seemingly innocuous letter will have drastic effect not only on our campaign to educate people on the difference between our two organisations but more importantly on our own fundraising efforts, not just in current collections but also in future legacies.

Whilst we appreciate your need to raise funds, we feel it is inappropiate and utterly devastating to us for your organisation to knowingly target an area which is covered by an Independent Lifeboat with no RNLI lifeboat coverage.

This is also the case for other areas around the country covered by the 60 plus independent lifeboats.

It is too late now, your letters have gone out and they cannot be taken back.

So this is a 'Storm' that we will have to cope with caused by your organisation, but one we will as before, weather with constant determination.

Yours sincerely, Tony D'Arcy-Masters, Hon. Secretary & Treasurer, Southport Offshore Rescue Trust.

Originally Posted by roving-eye

Last week we posted about the RNL

sending letters to residents of the Southport Area asking for donations to their Perfect Storm appeal.

We wish to share with you a letter we have sent to the Cheif Executive of the RNLI expressing our feelings towards their approach.

Thank you for your continued support.

It is with dismay that I write this letter to you. Southport Offshore Rescue Trust is the organisation that manages the Southport Independent Lifeboat service along the Merseyside and West Lancashire coastline between the Rivers Ribble and Mersey.

We have been in operation for over 30 years and in April this year we became the first independent Lifeboat service to be recognised as a fully "Declared Facility" under the new Rescue Boat Code of Practice regulations.

During the past 30 years we have fundraised continually and campaigned tirelessly to make the residents of our area and holiday visitors aware of the difference between our Independent service and your National organisation.


So far we have been very successful in providing this awareness and have managed to raise sufficient funds to operate two lifeboats and their respective launch vehicles, plus two quad ATV's for our land and mud rescue services.

We have also recently embarked on a project to build a new Lifeboat Station to house all our equipment and to provide 21st century facilities to our volunteer crew.

However, this week on every doorstep in our town and surrounding areas your 'Perfect Storm' campaign letter has landed, this included the doorsteps of all our Lifeboat Crew and dedicated volunteers.

Imagine the dismay and anger this will have caused them, as we know from past experience this seemingly innocuous letter will have drastic effect not only on our campaign to educate people on the difference between our two organisations but more importantly on our own fundraising efforts, not just in current collections but also in future legacies.

Whilst we appreciate your need to raise funds, we feel it is inappropiate and utterly devastating to us for your organisation to knowingly target an area which is covered by an Independent Lifeboat with no RNLI lifeboat coverage.

This is also the case for other areas around the country covered by the 60 plus independent lifeboats.

It is too late now, your letters have gone out and they cannot be taken back.

So this is a 'Storm' that we will have to cope with caused by your organisation, but one we will as before, weather with constant determination.

Yours sincerely, Tony D'Arcy-Masters, Hon. Secretary & Treasurer, Southport Offshore Rescue Trust.

Cant understand about donating when it was only recent that an article in another papers said that RNLI had sent African country millions of donated money Think it was Tanzania, maybe they needed it more than our own people or am I getting mixed up with the organisations prob