24 September 2007                41

Cost savings for Rye Harbour RNLI station thanks to Pontin’s donation

Rye Harbour RNLI lifeboat station is one of 14 stations to benefit from a generous £7,000 donation from Pontin’s holiday centres. The funds will cover the cost of a new all-in- one IT office device for each of the 14 stations, which will deliver substantial savings for the charity – around £96,000 over the next three years.

The new all-in-one printer, scanner, photocopier, fax machine is more efficient than existing, ageing equipment and enables the RNLI’s Rye Harbour lifeboat station to save an estimated £6,857 over a three year period in maintenance and warranties. This is equivalent to the cost of training nearly seven RNLI volunteer crew members and equipping them with vital lifesaving skills.

Having less devices at the station also means less power is used, leading to further cost savings.

Rye Harbour Lifeboat Operations Manager Richard Tollett said:
‘When we are coordinating our day-to-day activities, we rely on basic office equipment at the station. Thanks to Pontin’s, this new device will help us tremendously. It’s faster and more functional than our current equipment, so not only are we saving money, but we are also saving time. This allows us to spend more time in training and on other aspects of our lifesaving work.’

Pontin’s and its holiday visitors have been raising funds for the RNLI for five years and last year donated £8,500 toward protective clothing and kit for lifeboat crews. The funds this year were raised through collections at Pontin’s various centres.

Jean Spencer General Manager at Pontin’s Camber Sands Holiday Centre said:
‘The RNLI’s volunteer crews make a large contribution to seaside safety in our region and we are keen to support our local lifeboat station. Last year, the protective clothing and kit helped the crew to be ready for their lifesaving work in all weathers and conditions. This year, we’re pleased that our funds will help save time, money and resources for the charity.’

The new all-in-one machines will be delivered to the RNLI lifeboat stations later this year.

ENDS

Photo caption: (Click option to see photo)

Photo: Crew with Captain Croc and Pontin's Blue Coat

Notes to editors

1. The RNLI is a registered charity that continues to rely on voluntary contributions, corporate donations and legacies for income and receives no UK Government funding.
2. The RNLI’s annual running costs are over £122M – approximately £335,000 per day.
3. There are over 230 RNLI lifeboat stations across the UK and Ireland, which are operated by 4,800 RNLI lifeboat crew members, of which 95 per cent are volunteers.
4. The public can find more information on beach safety by phoning 0800 328 0600 or emailing or visiting rnli.org.uk/beachwise. To find local lifeguard patrolled beaches log on to , and for RNLI patrolled beaches visit rnli.org.uk.

For more information please telephone Amy Ross, Media Relations Manager for the East Division, on email: aross@rnli.org.uk

Vision

To be recognised universally as the most effective, innovative and dependable lifeboat service.Royal National Lifeboat Institution headquarters:

West Quay Road
Poole
Dorset
BH15 1HZ
Tel 0845 1226999
Fax 0845 1261999