Rnli Slammed For Spending Millions On Foreign Aid

[naomi24]

//Bosses last week warned the lifeboat charity is facing “some major challenges” after making losses of £6.3million last year. But donations to the service are being spent on creches in Bangladesh and swimsuits for Muslim women in Tanzania.

Tory MP Nigel Evans, who sits on the Commons International Development Committee, said the charity is putting its reputation at risk.

He added: “I would say 99 per cent of the British public giving them money do not have the faintest idea it’s diverted to projects overseas.”//

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9934323/rnli-slammed-foreign-aid-slashing-jobs/

This is one charity I thought was struggling and really needed the money to continue its excellent work around our shores. I certainly wasn’t aware that a proportion of my donations are going overseas. Will this information put this charity’s reputation at risk?

[naomi24]

Jim, they’re not rescuing people and saving lives abroad. They’re paying for burkinis and crèches. Not a lifeboat to be seen!

[Old_Geezer]

If each contributor hasn't been informed but deceived into thinking they are contributing to a UK sea rescue charity, then no amount of annual reports, or claims one can find out if one does the detective work, is going to convince anyone much that it's been sufficiently openly done. And whilst it is a case of cutting off one's nose to spite one's face, what else can one do to show disapproval at the deceit other than support a differentworthy cause ? Perhaps some other charity can take the roll of sea rescue on and take it more seriously rather than use contributions for other things.

[Mozz71]

My Grandfather was a lifeboatman in Pett during the post war years. I'm not sure what he would have made of it. I think he would've been okay with it as long as it wasn't taking needed funds from UK boats, which I imaging it was.

The best way to help overseas projects is to bring them to the UK and show them how they do things in the RNLI. Pass on our knowledge, so they can do the safe in their own countries.

[sanmac]

"But donations to the service are being spent on creches in Bangladesh and swimsuits for Muslim women in Tanzania." How are these spendings helping to save lives at sea?

[Old_Geezer]

If they want to share expertise then the world can come here and the RNLI expert volunteers can give them a lecture.

[ummmm]

And who will pay for that, Mozz?

[naomi24]

I agree OG. If all the RNLI leaflets I’ve picked up over the years and in all the adverts I’ve come across I’ve never seen overseas aid mentioned.

[Mozz71]

//If they want to share expertise then the world can come here and the RNLI expert volunteers can give them a lecture.//

I have an echo lol

[Old_Geezer]

Those wanting to learn of course.

[sanmac]

An excellent point, ummmm.

[jim360]

The RNLI statement again explains: the "creches" are about trying to educate children about water safety. Improving people's education is still going to have the effect of saving lives by reducing the chance they get in danger in the first place.

And, as to OG's post, there is no deceit. If people didn't know that's their lookout. I didn't know either, but that's because I didn't research, not because the RNLI kept that information hidden.

[Old_Geezer]

If the RNLI wasn't aware they were being deceitful then it's their lookout when contributions nosedives.

[Mozz71]

//And who will pay for that, Mozz?//

Collaborative effort. Part funded by the individual nations and part by the RNLI if they can afford it. I personally don't have a problem with that. But buying bikinis for Muslim women or setting up crèches? What The Funicular?

[jim360]

Write a strongly-worded letter if it matters to you. But to cut off funding and donations would be the absolute worst response to this.

I've watched too many "Saving Lives at Sea" episodes to be fine with seeing the lifeboat workers lose the funding they need to continue their sterling work.

[naomi24]

Actually Jim, that the RNLI weren’t more open about their activities has now become their lookout. I’m not paying for burkinis and crèches.

[ummmm]

I agree with Jim on that one.

[Old_Geezer]

Ah yes. A strongly worded letter will drive the point home for sure.

[sanmac]

It's amazing that a couple of posters on here are more concerned with the fact that we did not "research" the misuse of funds for ourselves than the actual misuse of the funds.

[vetuste_ennemi]

//The RNLI's response is that this is only 2% of its budget, and that it has contributed to saving lives. Just because they aren't British lives shouldn't make them any less worth saving.//

How very sadly predictable, Jim. If you want to donate money to the free burkini fund, or flooding relief in Bengal then yiou donate to those worthy causes. But contributors to the RNLI do so with a specific and local aim. And to spend their money however little in aggregate on anything other than the cause they thought they were contribututing to is fraudulent and a betrayal of trust.