RNLI/Mike

Annual Report of the Trustees of theRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionFOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2012Message from the ChairmanAs the charity that saves lives at sea, operating a rescue operation over more than19,000 miles of coastline, there continues to be a huge demand for our services.That is reflected in our operational statistics. Despite 2012’s miserable weather– which discouraged recreational boating – our lifeboat crews launched 8,346 timesand rescued 7,964 people. During the course of the year we passed a remarkablemilestone: 140,000 lives saved since the RNLI was formed 189 years ago. Theextraordinarily wet weather also saw our flood rescue teams being deployed 8 times– the highest number since we became involved in this type of operation.Meanwhile our lifeguards, operating on over 180 beaches, responded to 14,523incidents and assisted 16,418 people. Prevention is a key part of the lifeguards’ role,and the RNLI continued its coastal safety focus in 2012 delivering safety messages toover 250,000 people and reaching many more through the media.As you will read on page 14, total income was better than expected in 2012– especially given the continuing difficult economic environment. Thanks to theextraordinary efforts of our volunteer fundraisers and staff, fundraised voluntaryincome remained constant at £51.9M, and the RNLI also received several generouslegacies. At a time of such economic uncertainty, our supporters showedoutstanding generosity.Expenditure was once again down as our continuous improvement programmereduced costs and increased efficiency. For example, carrying out more legal workusing in-house expertise in contract management saved £43,000. Total charitableexpenditure was £116.2M while our contribution to our reserves was £34.1M.However, we spent £35.5M on our capital expenditure programme in 2012, fundingthe construction of new lifeboats, lifeboat stations and other assets that will help tosave lives for years to come.To continue to develop those lifesaving assets, and meet the cost of runningour year-round, 24/7 lifesaving service, we depend on our extraordinary volunteers,fundraisers and supporters. So, on behalf of the RNLI’s Trustees, I would like to thankall those who give their time and support to help keep everyone safer at sea.Admiral the Lord Boyce KG GCB OBE DLChairmanRoyal National Lifeboat Institution10 April 2013The Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) forthe year ended 31 December 2012 have been prepared in accordance with applicable accountingstandards, the Charities Act 2011, and the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) ‘Accountingand Reporting by Charities’ (revised 2005) (second edition 2008) and comply with the charity’strust deed.In 2011, the RNLI’s priorities for the 5 years from 1 January 2012 were published in theRNLI Plan 2012–2016. Extracts from the Plan, together with key achievements and performanceduring 2012, are included within this report. The full version of this plan is available from the RNLI’sregistered office or may be downloaded from the website at RNLI.org.1