You well know the passion for the RNLI that Alan and I share not just for the amazing work the lifeboat men and women do but for the whole ethos of saving lives from drowning. We are now very involved with the International side and have taken on the challenge of raising a significant sum of money in order to prevent drowning in developing countries. The RNLI’s Creches for Bangladesh appeal,  described below, is one particular project we are supporting.

Our joint mission is to raise £25,000 which would turn into £50,000 with matched funding from the UK Government. Each of us would like 100 friends to donate £100 and we will achieve this target but we do fully recognise that you all already lend support to many other charities and so lesser contributions as well as higher ones would be absolutely wonderful as each donation received before 28th April is doubled and may benefit from gift aid.

We very much look forward to your contribution and to speaking to you about it. You can make payment either through our just giving page or by cheque made out to the RNLI and we will send you a gift aid form for completion Thank you for your support and for saving lives.

Archie Smith BEM, Vice President and Alan Marsh MBE Council Member RNLI : International Development Group members

The RNLI's mission to prevent drowning

For nearly 200 years, the RNLI has depended on the kindness of people like you to help communities save lives. Today we prevent drowning through a 24/7 lifeboat service in the UK and Ireland,
seasonal lifeguards on beaches, plus safety campaigning and interventions around the world. Bangladesh, where drowning is a leading killer of children, is a key focus for this international work.

When the RNLI was formed in 1824, the resolutions passed at public meeting included one that stated that 'the subjects of all nations [should] be equally objects of the Institution, as well in war
as in peace'.

We are supporting a specific project that has been awarded Aid  Match funding through the UK government’s Department for International Development, meaning that all donations made between 4th February and 28th April 2019 will be matched pound for pound. And we want your help to support it.

40 children drown a day in Bangladesh, where ponds, rivers and wells are an ever-present danger. Most die within 20m of their own home.  But the drowning problem is a preventable as it is tragic.

In Bangladesh, many families are faced with an impossible situation: parents must work in order for families to survive but paid-for child care is just not available in the country, even for those that could afford it. That leaves thousands of children at risk. Research has shown that children aged 1–4 are particularly vulnerable to the dangers of open water, with drowning responsible for almost half (40%) of all deaths in this age group. They are most at risk between 9am–1pm when parents are busy working and undertaking chores essential to keeping their families fed, clothed and healthy.

There is a solution, though. Community-led creches called anchals provide a secure place for children from Bangladesh to play and learn while being protected from the everyday risks of drowning. They learn vital life skills too. It also puts the maas (the women who run the creches) at the centre of the community, creating role models and empowering women.

By working with local communities, the Centre for Injury Prevention and Research Bangladesh – and with support from the UK government – the RNLI is raising funds for lifesaving creches in Bangladesh.

How will your donation help?

It will help to fund childcare that could save a life. It can give a child a safe place to learn and play in a country where drowning is an everyday risk. It helps to provide a sustainable, community-led facility that boosts childhood development.

Just £30
could pay for a whole year of childcare for one child.

£100 could provide 3 children with a place in a creche for a year,
and could save them from drowning.

£170 is enough to pay for the set up and equipment needed for a new creche.

£805 could fund the entire annual running cost of a creche.

£975 would equip, set up and cover the running cost of a creche during its first year.

Please give by 28th April, and all public donations will be doubled
by the UK government, allowing us to protect even more children from drowning.