Volunteers shocked by theft of charity donations from collection box
Volunteer lifeboat crew members from RNLI Brighton Lifeboat Station were shocked to discover their charitable collection box had been broken into and emptied twice.
The external collection box outside the RNLI Brighton shop in Brighton Marina has been broken into twice this month.
The RNLI is a charity which exists to save lives at sea and has lifeboats at 238 stations around the UK and Ireland – all of which are crewed by highly-trained volunteers.
As a charity, donations from the public are essential to ensuring the RNLI can carry on its lifesaving work.
Brighton lifeboat crew launched 35 times last year and helped 16 people.
The crew, who volunteer their time to help save others, are sorely disappointed about the theft of the donated money, all of which could have helped fund vital training or equipment.
They said: ‘The money in that collection box was generously donated by members of the public who have chosen to support the work we do.
‘Our volunteers work very hard to keep launching to rescue those who need us. This just makes it harder.’
As the money is donated voluntarily, it is difficult to give an accurate estimate of how much donated money has been stolen.
The box will now be removed and replaced with a contactless donation machine in the window of the shop.
The station has set up a fundraiser page and would appreciate any donations: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rnli-brighton-lifesavers-2022
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 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. 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 146,000 lives.
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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.