Weather brings RNLI figures down

RNLI lifeboats rely entirely on donations and legacies for funding

The poor summer is the cause of lower RNLI lifeboat call out figures in Wales for June, July and August, the charity has claimed.

New figures show the lifeboats were launched almost 150 times less than in the same period last year.

However, at least eight of the 31 RNLI stations in Wales were busier than last year.

The figures are released the same day Welsh Blue Peter chef Jake Sawyers, 12, launches a RNLI fundraising appeal.

The annual statistics showed that Welsh lifeboats launched 554 times this summer, down from the record of almost 700 call outs last year.

But an RNLI spokeswoman added that it had still been a busy summer for stations such as Beaumaris, Abersoch, Cardigan, Aberystwyth, Burry Port, St David's, New Quay and Flint, which all saw the number of call outs increase.

"The weather has been absolutely dreadful this summer so we had less people using the coastline," she said.

"But certain stations, like Beaumaris, saw a rise in call-outs which suggests more people are visiting these areas."

I've lived close to the sea all my life, so I know how dangerous it can be, but it's good to know that the RNLI is there if you ever did get into trouble Jake Sawyers

She added that, despite the drop in call-outs this year, it was still important to raise as much money as possible from the charity's latest appeal, which will be known as SOS.

"The RNLI has no government funding and is run entirely on donations and legacies," she said.

Jake Sawyers, who beat more than 12,000 budding chefs to become the first Blue Peter cook in April, will host the launch of the new appeal at Port Talbot lifeboat station, near his home.

The 12-year-old is calling on people to come up with fundraising around the SOS acronym on 25 January, and will be preparing his local crew a soup lunch to promote one SOS fundraising idea - Slurp Our Soup.

Other suggestions for the day, which is supported by schools, businesses, pubs and community groups, are 'Sponsor Our Sports', 'Sizzle Our Sausages' or 'Scoff Our Snacks'.

Jake, who is visually-impaired, said: "I've lived close to the sea all my life, so I know how dangerous it can be, but it's good to know that the RNLI is there if you ever did get into trouble.

"The lifeboat crew make sure people are safe so I want to pay them back by making them a nice lunch and asking people to support SOS day and raise as much money as possible for the RNLI."