Funding the upgrade of the Tynemouth lifeboat
Today’s RNLI lifesaving service is provided largely by volunteers and run almost entirely through voluntary donations. In 2020, the service cost £159.6 million to run, rescuing 35 people on average every day. The volunteer crew at Tynemouth launched their Severn class lifeboat and D class lifeboat 77 times in 2021, aiding 64 people who found themselves in difficulty.
The RNLI’s Severn class all-weather lifeboats are some of the biggest, most powerful and most iconic in the fleet, often being the difference between life and death in rough, open seas and busy shipping lanes. Without them, there would be a critical gap in the ring of safety the RNLI provides around our shores. After 20 years of service, however, they are nearing the end of their operational lives.
The Severn class needs updating, from wiring and hydraulics to seats and lighting to improve capability and crew safety while out at sea. The RNLI has designed an upgrade programme that makes best use of the charity’s resources by making all the adjustments whilst keeping the tough hull intact. The Severn Life Extension Programme will ensure that the Severn class will last another 25 years and continue to bring the crews, and the people they rescue, home safely.