Running costs
It cost £181.5M in 2019 to run our lifesaving service – all funded by our generous supporters.
Keeping a modern fleet of lifeboats ever-ready to go to the rescue from over 238 lifeboat stations is an expensive business. Add to that crew training, running a lifeguard service on more than 240 popular beaches and campaigning for water safety, and the pounds start to add up.
It cost £181.5M for the RNLI to run in 2019, all of which was generously donated by the public. This might sound like a lot, but we think the 23 people our lifeboat crews rescue on average every day are worth it. Below is a breakdown of the costs of our rescue kit; for more detailed information see our Annual Report and Accounts.
| Equipment (2017 costs) | Pound sterling | Euros |
|---|---|---|
| Gloves | £20 | €27 |
| Boots | £54 | €73 |
| Waterproof trousers | £249 | €339 |
| Waterproof jacket | £349 | €475 |
| Drysuit, including boots | £750 | €1,020 |
| Thermal undersuit | £225 | €306 |
| Thermal top | £50 | €68 |
| Lifejacket | £458 | €624 |
| Helmet | £263 | €358 |
| Lifeboat Class | Pound sterling | Euros |
|---|---|---|
| Shannon class | £2.1M | €2.4M |
| B class | £276,000 | €315,000 |
| D class | £86,000 | €98,000 |
| E class | £560,000 | €762,000 |
| Hovercraft | £400,000 | €544,000 |
| Kit | Cost |
|---|---|
| Full wetsuit | £245 |
| Sunglasses | £40 |
| Shorts | £30 |
| Cap | £15 |
| Fleece | £50 |
| Fleet | Cost |
|---|---|
| Rescue watercraft | £10,000 |
| Inshore rescue boat | £13,000 |
| Patrol vehicle | £24,600 |
| All-terrain vehicle | £7,000 |