RNLI ‘overwhelmed’ by support in 2021 as donations surge

The UK’s lifeboat charity RNLI says it recorded a “huge level of support” in 2021, with donations surging after the charity saw an influx of criticism by right-wing commentators, including Nigel Farage, for its work rescuing asylum seekers in the English Channel.

While official figures are not yet available, the RNLI – which is made up of a network of the UK’s volunteer lifeboats – recently indicated to the Guardian it could potentially be on course for “the highest annual fundraising total in its near 200-year history”, and noted that much of its newfound support came from a rise in online donations.

“We are always incredibly grateful for the huge level of support we receive from our amazing supporters – we could not save lives at sea without them,” an RNLI spokesperson told Marine Industry News. “The outpouring of support we received in 2021 was overwhelming.”

The RNLI, which was founded in 1824, was inundated with donations and messages of support after various attacks this year. Last July, the charity received over £200,000 in donations after former Brexit party leader Farage compared the RNLI to a “taxi service for illegal trafficking gangs” during his show on GB News.

The charity also had to temporarily take down its website last month, after a suspected hacking attempt.

“Our supporters’ kindness means so much to us, without them we could not save lives at sea. Every one is a lifesaver,” the spokesperson told Marine Industry News. “The RNLI is apolitical, and we remain focused on our core purpose of saving lives at sea.”

Jayne George, the RNLI’s fundraising director, told the Guardian that hostility appeared to have had the opposite effect to what was intended. 

“We’ve had a better response to almost everything that we’ve done in 2021. At the end of the year, we’re going to have more members, we’re going to have more cash donors and more people who give to us via direct debit,” she said.

George added that the charity’s database of supporters had also grown significantly, with the organisation now in regular contact with 300,000 people.

“During the pandemic we haven’t been able to carry out face-to-face fundraising or run activity like lifeboat station open days as we would normally do, but instead our supporters found and embraced other ways to support us,” the spokesperson told Marine Industry News.

“We are grateful to every single one of them who have buoyed us through a tough couple of years. In 2021, despite the ongoing challenges posed by the pandemic, we ran a full beach lifeguard service throughout the summer and maintained our 24/7 volunteer lifeboat service around the UK and Ireland. We couldn’t do what we do without our supporters – they really are part of our crew.”

Channel crossings continue to be a highly politicised issue in the UK. A parliamentary report issued last year said the government’s operations in the Channel “rely heavily on voluntary organisations, such as the RNLI, or independent lifeboats”.

However, the charity remains resolutely focused on its mission. 

“We are a voluntary lifesaving charity and will go to the aid of anyone in trouble at sea, as the RNLI has been doing for nearly 200 years, without judgement or preference,” the spokesperson continues. “Our mission is to save everyone and we remain focused on our core purpose.”