CLOSURE OF TEESMOUTH LIFEBOAT STATION

[TC]

Having sent an e-mail to the lads at Teesmouth Lifeboat Station ealier this week, I\'ve recieved a reply today from Neil Marson, who is the Lifeboat Operations Manager, there.
Just thought you\'d like to read it.................

\"Dear Tony

Many thanks for your email. The crew of the Teesmouth Lifeboat are very grateful for the support that you and your organisation are showing. As you can imagine it came as a great shock to the station to learn that the RNLI intends to push ahead with the closure.

What makes this decision more unbelievable is the fact that the RNLI seem to have rejected, without any consideration, the offer made by PD Teesports to provide, at no cost to the RNLI, an afloat berth suitable for an All Weather Lifeboat, alongside the current lifeboat station, at no cost to the RNLI.

That along with the fact that £400,000 of charitable donations was used to construct shore facilities suitable for an All Weather Station two years ago, seem to demonstrate that the RNLI have little consideration for the tremendous effort made by organisations like yours, and the general public in raises funds to support the RNLI.

We believe that there is still the opportunity for the RNLI to undertake a full and proper review of the offer that has being made by PD Teesports, and that they should suspend the decision to close the station until this review takes place.

Once again many thanks for the support that you have shown to this Station.


Regards

Neil\"



The 3rd paragraph is particularly interesting (regarding the costs involved in building a complete new facility there, just 2 years go).
My heart goes out to these lads (and all such lifeboat crews) as it\'s they who are the public face of the RNLI and they do so much to raise money themselves - not to mention the small fact that it\'s THEIR lives they put on the line in providing the service........free of charge.

Let\'s hope that the generous proposal from Teesport IS looked at again and that the current decision to scrap the station is reversed.

[Stores]

Says in the Mail on Sunday today (so it must be true) that the Government is looking to sell off the Air Sea Rescue services and the Americans are favourites to win the \"billion pound contract\". Sure that\'ll improve things

[SIXFOOTSTEVE]

Absolute madness .

[IanW]

According to a letter I received from the RNLI, we have on the north east coast, the densest all weather boat populations of any coast.

While I can understand that most of the call outs that Teesmouth were called to may have been completed by an inshore boat and the rest that needed an offsore boat could have been answered by elsewhere, after reading how much money the RNLI have in reserve I am at a loss for words,

However I will still continue to support them as I hope I never have to call on their services.

[petepj]

it is a sad sign of the times, everything will be going private soon,well almost everything is anyway, im sure before long that we will all have to have medical insurance for to cover costs for any medical care that you will need.
i think it is a kick in the teeth for all the brave men and women who work on the lifeboats,riskimg their very own lives when they do get a shout.

[willywetegg]

Tony I have sent you a PM mate.

Jim.

[TC]

Just got it and replied, Jim

[willywetegg]

Tony I think I will START with M. Charlton and see which direction he sails me in mate. I have written three letters to date but have not been happy with any of them. Going out now but am going to compose number four and send it when I get back in later.

Jim.

[TC]

Jim,
I wrote to Neil Marson again and asked him for the e-mail addresses for both Michael Vlasto (RNLI Operations Manager) and Andrew Freemantle (RNLI Chief Executive and Secretary). This is Neils\' reply:-

\"Tony

I hope that my email clarified the situation, as it really is, and not what the RNLI\'s PR machine was putting out. I read the comments on your web-site, and I was moved by the level of support that your members are showing.

Please find below the email addresses for the following:-

Mike Vlasto mvlasto@rnli.org.uk

Andrew Freemantle afreemantle@rnli.org.uk


Could I also suggest that if your organisation feels strongly about the situation, that you write to the Chairman of the Trustees, Sir Jock Slater. organisations like yours, which donate funds to the RNLI are fundamental to enable it to continue to deliver the service that we expect, loss or threat of potential loss of such funding will focus RNLI\'s attention very quickly!!!.

I feel that the Trustees will have not being made fully aware of the strength of feelings on the North East Coast. And it is not to late for them to suspend their decision pending a full review of the offer made by PD Teesports.

The crew of Teesmouth Lifeboat have not given up on this, and I still strongly believe that the RNLI can safely do a \"U\" turn and in doing so would not be criticised for it.

His address is:

Sir Jock Slater
Chairman RNLI
RNLI Headquarters
West Quay Road
POOLE
Dorset
BH15 1HZ

Once again on behalf of the Station thank you for the support that you are giving to us.

Regards
Neil\"


I\'ll be writing to all 3.
Should anybody else feel the need to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard, these days), then PLEASE DO SO.
As a group who have in the past raised quite a large amount for the RNLI both locally and nationally, we have a right to make our opinions known on their decision to close the station.......the more people who write letters of complaint, the louder our our voice on this issue.

[TC]

Jim,
I\'ve just mailed you the letter I\'m gonna be sending to Andrew Freemantle, Michael Vlasto and Sir Jock Slater.

[TC]

This is the letter I\'ve just sent to Messrs Freemantle and Vlasto.

It\'s the same letter I\'ll be posting to Sir Jock Slater.

If you like, you can use any parts of it you want to include in your own e-mails / letters. I\'d rather they recieved a number of e-mails rather than just one containing several signatories.


Dear Mr Freemantle
(cc M. Vlasto)

North East Sea Angling, (NESA), is an internet based angling \"club\" which came into being approximately 10 years ago and now boasts a membership in excess of 1000.
Whilst, as the name suggests, the membership is largely comprised of anglers from the N.E. area, we do have many members from all over the country and a few from overseas, too.

Primarily, the aim of the site is to provide a forum for like minded anglers who not only have a passion for fishing, but who are also concerned about the wider issues affecting our sport, such as conservation and the marine / coastal environment.

Approximately 4 years ago, it was decided that NESA would \"adopt\" the RNLI as its chosen charity and would raise funds through organised events as well as individual donations.

To date, we have held six fund raising competitions and associated \"on-line\" auctions:
Three shore competitions held from South Shields and Whitley Bay, with the proceeds going to the RNLIs central funds and three large boat fishing competitions - the proceeds from which went to N.E. based Lifeboat Stations:

2003: Amble £2,000
2004: Cullercoats £1,200
2005: Sunderland £1,500

Preparations are underway for this years boat competition, which will take place in May and see the proceeds going to another N.E. based station.

As a result, NESA has so far raised over £7000 for the RNLI. of which, almost £5,000 has gone directly to North East based Lifeboat Stations.

It was anticipated that both the shore and the boat competitions would continue as annual events for many years to come and so continue to help provide vital resources for the RNLI, both nationally and on a more local basis.

However, since learning of the decision to close the Teesmouth Station, coupled with the previous downgradings of both the Sunderland and Blyth stations, I am finding it increasingly difficult to justify the continued support from NESA.

What makes your decision to close the Teesmouth Station more unbelievable, is the fact that you are quoted as having rejected the very generous offer made by the Teesport Authority to provide a new berth suitable for an All Weather Lifeboat, at no cost to the RNLI.

In addition, for the RNLI to have used £400,000 of charitable donations to provide new shore facilities at Teesmouth only two years ago and now make a decision to close the very same station, seems to demonstrate that the RNLI have little consideration for the time and effort given by groups like NESA, and the general public in raising funds to support the RNLI.

I appreciate that the newer boats can cover greater distances in shorter times - GREAT......but use them as an addition to existing services to provide even greater cover - don\'t use them as an excuse to deplete the existing cover. It\'s not as if the RNLI can\'t afford to do that - having in excess of £480 million in reserves, according to your 2004 Statement of Accounts.

Michael Vlasto has been quoted as saying that the decision to close the Teesmouth Station was not made on \"financial grounds\", but on \"an over provision of service\" and that, \"there was more lifeboat cover in the Tees Bay area, including two all-weather lifeboats, than other parts of the UK and it had to make the most effective use of resources.\"
If the decision to remove the RNLI cover from Teesmouth wasn\'t made on \"financial\", but \"over provision\" grounds, can we expect to see the RNLI establishing a new station, complete with a new all weather boat in one of these \"other parts of the country\"?

It was the intention that NESA would eventually hold fund raising boat competitions for ALL the N.E. based Lifeboat Stations (and also continue with fund raising for the RNLI nationally, through our shore competitions) this, as you will appreciate, would result in MANY thousands of pounds being raised.

However, we are now faced with the situation whereby a station we raise funds for one year, may well be closed the following year and thus a lack of trust in the way the money we (and others) raise is managed.

I hope you will take my comments onboard and look again at your decision to close the Teesmouth station. I\'m sure that if the station IS closed, it will result in potentially MANY THOUSANDS of pounds NOT being donated to the RNLI.


Tony Cutter
Site Administrator
NESA



[Edited on 18/4/2006 by TC]

[IanW]

Tony, no decidion has been made yet as to which station is receiving the proceeds of the boat comp.

[TC]

I thought Hartlepool had been mentioned........never mind - I think they\'ll get the gist of what I\'m saying.

I\'ve amended my letter accordingly - let\'s hope the RNLI \"amend\" their mistake as quickly when it\'s pointed out to them.



[Edited on 17/4/2006 by TC]

[willywetegg]

Thank\'s for that Tony, much apreciated.

Have E mailed you mate.

You fishing this weekend ? let me know and I will try to make it.

Jim.

[TC]

Just had a look at my e-mails, Jim - not recieved it yet, m8.

Bit early to say for definite if I\'ll be fishing this weekend - would like to hope so