Banter: Prize Letter

As I am sure you all read Y&Y from cover to cover you will have seen the recent article about the RNLI and in particular the attached prize letter about my attempt to run the London marathon next week in aid of the RNLI. After 3 months of hard training (I hadn't run more than 3 miles in the last 20 years), and even harder fundraising I am just £200 GBP away from my fundraising target of £1500 with a week to go.

If anyone would like to sponsor me they can do so through http://www.justgiving.com/runfortheboat and more information can be found on my own website.

Text of the letter submitted to yachts and Yachting is as follows

<> This year I will be running the London marathon in aid of the RNLI.
During the course of fundraising I have discovered some worrying facts about the RNLI.

As our use of the sea for pleasure increases so to do the demands on the RNLI, 2005 was again the busiest year in its history in many regions.

For the last 4 financial years the RNLI has received less income than the cost of its lifesaving operations.

Income from donations and legacies is not keeping up with the increasing demand for services.

The RNLI likes to operate with 3 of reserve. In 2000 the RNLI had sufficient reserves to sustain 4.5 years of operations. However now the free reserves will sustain only eleven months of operations.

I was shocked by this last fact and believe this is the strongest argument why we must do more this year than we have done in the past. I know that most sailors already give generously, perhaps this year we all need to make an extra effort.

If any readers, clubs or businesses would care to help me do my bit for the RNLI they can do so via my web site.