Visit the RNLI stands at the Southampton Boat Show

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution – the charity that provides a 24-hour life-saving service around the coast of the UK and Ireland – is appealing to visitors attending the Southampton Boat Show (11-20 September 2009) to visit its stands (C9 and B11 and berth 522) for some Serious Fun!

The charity that saves lives at sea will host a series of FREE seminars for leisure boaters in partnership with Sea Start and International Paint, as well as sharing sea safety knowledge, FREE lifejacket clinics and copies of the revised and updated version of: The Complete Guide on stand C9. Show visitors will have the chance to experience the RNLI’s virtual lifeboat training experience and buy lifeboat gifts in the RNLI shop on stand B11; and the opportunity to get on board an RNLI all-weather lifeboat in the marina (berth 522).

The RNLI launched its new Serious Fun! fundraising campaign at the start of the summer – in a year when the charity’s financial free reserves are at their lowest level in over a decade. The Serious Fun! campaign – sponsored by Helly Hansen – aims to increase regular donations to the charity among all leisure marine and watersports enthusiasts.

Demand for the RNLI’s lifesaving rescue services among leisure sea users shows no sign of abating2, with over half of the 8,000+ lifeboat launches each year to leisure craft3, yet support for the RNLI among this group does not match the demand they make on the service. At the heart of the RNLI’s new fundraising campaign is a DVD entitled ‘Serious Fun!’ which is available FREE of charge to those who request a copy from the RNLI’s stand (C9) at the Boat Show or by visiting www.rnli.org.uk/seriousfun

The DVD is packed full of practical tips and advice, it features 11 short films, each dedicated to a different water-based sport, from powerboating (large and small), sailing (yachts and small sail boats), windsurfing and kitesurfing; to jet skiing (PWC), waterskiing and wakeboarding, sea angling, diving, canoeing and kayaking; along with a top tips, lifejacket clinic films and a film about the RNLI and how to support the charity that saves lives at sea.

To find out more about Serious Fun! and to order your FREE copy, visit the RNLI’s stand (C9), where there’s the opportunity to sign up as a member of the RNLI. The RNLI’s sea safety team will be on hand on stand C9, providing expert advice along with copies of the revised and updated version of: The Complete Guide, a FREE handbook and CD-ROM of essential safety information for all who go to sea which complements the Serious Fun! DVD.

A FREE seminar series will also run daily on the RNLI’s stand C9 (next to the Holiday Inn) covering a range of topics including:

• Antifouling Technology – presented by International Paint
• Engine Breakdown – presented by Sea Start
• Calling for help – presented by RNLI Sea Safety
• Lifejackets – presented by RNLI Sea Safety
• Technological advances in lifeboat design – presented by RNLI Engineering

RNLI members will also have the chance to rest their feet in the RNLI Offshore members’ lounge, situated in the foyer of the Holiday Inn, at this year’s Southampton Boat Show.

Commenting on the RNLI’s presence at the Southampton Boat Show, Richard Devereux, RNLI Leisure Marine Marketing Manager, says:

‘We hope to welcome all boat show visitors to the RNLI stand (C9) and urge them all to sign up for a free copy of our new Serious Fun DVD – it’s a great way to connect with your chosen watersport without even getting wet! It’s all about being able to enjoy your time on the water, confident in the knowledge that the RNLI is never far away should things go wrong.

‘Serious Fun! has been developed so that all who share a common passion for fun on the water can not only learn more about enjoying their chosen pastime safely, but can also find out about the RNLI and why the charity needs regular financial support.’