News release
The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea
08/07/2008 9.45 am	Rye Harbour 029/2008

Late Summer Ball, 27 September 2008

Rye Harbour RNLI Lifeboat Station will host their annual Late Summer Ball at the River Haven Hotel, Rye on 27 September 2008 to raise money for the RNLI's Train one, save many campaign. Tickets cost £25 each and are available from Richard Tollett on 01797 223631 or Natalie Peters on 01797 229117

The train one, save many campaign was launched by the RNLI in 2005 to raise £10M over five years to fund the vital training for the RNLI's volunteer crews and lifeguards.

Without the courage, commitment and dedication or our volunteer crews and lifeguards, the RNLI could not save lives at sea. With only 1 in 10 of our volunteer crew members coming from a professional maritime background, training is essential. In 2007 the RNLI volunteer crews rescued a total of 7,834 people - and average of 21 people a day. The RNLI volunteer lifeguards assisted 9,883 people during the summer season.

Richard Tollett. RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager said: ‘Training is vital for the volunteer crews. It currently costs on average £1000 to train a crew member each year. We currently train twice a week at Rye Harbour RNLI Lifeboat Station, with an additional evening for those wishing to practice and gain greater knowledge and experience of certain aspects of search and rescue.

The money raised at the Ball and through the sale of raffle tickets, will help provide the RNLI's volunteer crews and lifeguards with the training they need to continue their lifesaving work, where ordinary people do extraordinary things.

The first 3 raffle prizes are: £250 Experience of a lifetime voucher, £200 voucher for wooden furniture and a 4 course meal for 50 (fifty) plus a free disco at the River Haven Hotel.’

Notes to editors

Last years Ball raised £3,015 for the Train one, save many campaign
Rye Harbour lifeboat station has been operating since 1966. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to www.rnli.org.uk/ryeharbour

RNLI media contacts
For more information please contact Steve Tollett, RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on news@ryeharbourlifeboat.co.uk or Tim Ash, Deputy Media Relations Manager South East and London on 07785 296252 or tash@rnli.org.uk or contact RNLI Public Relations on 01202 336789

RNLI online
For more information on the RNLI please visit www.rnli.org.uk. News releases and other media resources, including RSS feeds, downloadable photos and video, are available at the RNLI Press Centre www.rnli.org.uk/press

Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates over 230 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and has more than 100 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824 its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 137,000 lives. The RNLI is a charity registered in England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.