Thanks for visiting our team fundraising page.
We've joined together to raise money for the RNLI Tower Lifeboat station. The Tower Lifeboat is situated by Waterloo Bridge and is the BUSIEST lifeboat station in the RNLI fleet. In 2013, RNLI lifeboats launched 8,304 times around the coast of the UK and the Republic of Ireland (ROI)(2012: 8,321) rescuing 8,384 people (including 325 lives saved) (2012: 7,912) and saving property approximately valued at £196,280,011.01 (2012: £81,064,976.50).
The RNLI Lifeguards responded to 19,594 incidents (2012: 14,519) and helped 23,505 people on beaches in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (2012: 16,414).
The RNLI’s Flood Rescue Team (FRT) deployed once (Wales, December 2013 with 25 people rescued) (2012:12 times). Although strictly part of next year’s report, I should also mention the tremendous and extraordinary work the RNLI FRT has done in the Somerset Levels and the Thames Valley during the recent and exceptional floodings that have occurred. There could be no better illustration of the value of their work.
Last year, the RNLI launched a lifeboat, on average, just under 23 times a day (2012: 23 times) and their volunteer crew spent a collective 213,721 hours at sea on service and exercise – which is just under 24.5 years in total and shows the huge amount of time these brave volunteers dedicate to the saving of life at sea.
As to the causes of launches, 1,596 were due to machinery failure which is the biggest single cause of incidents and there were 116 launches to animals (92 to dogs, 5 to sheep and 6 to whales!). Out of all the launches, 667 were to manual leisure craft, 1,920 to power pleasure craft and 1,573 to sail pleasure craft.
The Lifeboats on the Thames launched 846 times last year (2012: 884) and rescued 430 people (2012: 270) and saved 30 lives and property approximately valued at £6,332,451 (2012: £1,449,225)
Tower Station (our local lifeboat station and the focus of our fundraising) remained the busiest station in the entire RNLI network of 236 stations in the UK and the ROI with 492 launches (2012: 499); 128 people rescued (2012: 105); 19 lives saved and £1,732,000 property saved (2012: £549,700).
The combined Lifeboats on the Thames (Tower, Chiswick (the second busiest in the RNLI network), Gravesend and Teddington) performed just over 10% of all RNLI launches in 2013 and as was assessed at the beginning of that year, provided 25% of all the RNLI casualty care. These are sound illustrations of the significance of the Lifeboats on the Thames.
Our team consists of 15 riders who will cycle the 380km from London to Paris in 2-1/2 days. Setting off from the Tower Lifeboat the team will cycle to Portsmouth to make the crossing to Caen. After an overnight stop in Caen day 2 is the longest involving a 180km ride. Then on the last day we head to Paris arriving shortly after lunch.
All profits will go towards the Tower Lifeboat.
To learn more please visit the RNLI web-site at http://www.rnli.org.uk
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