CLOSURE OF TEESMOUTH LIFEBOAT STATION

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Anybody got any views on this?????

Listening to RNLI operations director, Michael Vlasto on the local news tonight.......I wasn\'t convinced by him at all. He said that the decision wasn\'t based on \"financial\" issues - but on an \"over provision of service\".

How can you have an \"over provision\" of something which saves lives??

It was reported that, in a move to retain the boat, the Port Authorities had offered to construct a purpose made, free, berth for the lifeboat. It was also reported that the RNLI had turned down the offer saying that the berth didn\'t match their standards - however, the person being interviwed stated that the plans for the berth hadn\'t even been drawn up ........how did the RNLI know that it wouldn\'t \"match their stanards\"??

The RNLI are quoted as saying 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.

So......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 setting up a new station, complete with a new all weather boat in one of these \"other parts of the country\"............I think not.........given their recent record in the North East.

With the increased amount of water-related activities taking part around our shores, surely, they should be looking to EXPAND their service provision - not reduce it.

OK - so 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 they can\'t afford it........the latest complete figures for the RNLI come from December 2004 and show that they had an income of £117.3 million. They also had a Reserve Fund of £481 million.


[Edited on 12/4/2006 by TC]
 
I think it is shocking - over facilitated for rescue my Ar$e - cost cutting.

Cast you mind back to that august day 2 years back when the freak storm hit and all those yachts were turned over and the black witch sank with the loss of 2 lives - all the life boats in the area were involved including the teesmouth one which I believe helped save lives that day. What do you say to a family when their loved one has been drowned but could have been saved if the boat had not been taken out of service.

Regards
Jason
 
What do you say to a family when their loved one has been drowned but could have been saved if the boat had not been taken out of service.
Click to expand...
Fortunately for them the decision makers at the RNLI dont have to say anything, they just have to look at a balance sheet and then sleep well at night cos it all looks healthy. Its a shame that what was started with all best intentions with a sole purpose of saving lives has become far more concerned with financial matters that their original purpose.

I wonder how they can justify a reserve of 400million + when lives are still been lost at sea. You are so right that recreational pastimes are one of the countries fastest growing areas due to people having more spare time and more disposable income. Its strange that the RNLI decide this is the time to cut back on their services!
 
£481 M reserve ? ............. so where does that leave us ? BVLS?

If my memory serves me well the last cut was on the basis that there was plenty of cover from Stations North and South (Tyne to Tees) so no need for anything major in between (Sunderland). Yes you don`t need the prop in the middle of the washing line but where does that leave you when you remove the post at the end !

[Edited on 13/4/2006 by Norman]
 
\"....so where does that leave us ?\"

Got to admit Norman - that\'s something I\'ve been wondering.

It has been suggested that the money we raise from the shore comps and associated auctions should also go to a chosen N.E. station - rather than donated to the RNLI national coffers.

Now this is a suggestion I can sympathise with - BUT there are 2 issues which cause me a bit of concern if we were to go down that road:

1. Although NESA is N.E. based, we\'ve got members from all over the country. Why should somebody living / fishing on the West coast, South coast, Wales, Scotland, etc keep donating time, effort & money to RNLI stations in the N.E. of England?

2. Whilst we all like to see the money we raise go to where it would do most good (ie a Lifeboat Station itself, rather than into the RNLI central funds), who\'s to say that the station we raise funds for 1 year, isn\'t gonna be closed down the next.

I think (and it\'s only my opinion) that the RNLI have, in recent years, let down an awful lot of people - people who truly have the ethos of saving lives at sea at heart: the people who crew the lifeboats, the people who are dependant upon a reliable, secure service and the people who actually raise the money to keep the service going. They have been let down and let down badly by penny pinching jobsworths.



For more info and comments on this, see the same topic title in the Shore Fishing forum.


[Edited on 13/4/2006 by TC]
 
Just to keep the Boat Fishing forum up to date on this, I wrote to the crew of Teesmouth Station, letting them know of our support for them, a couple of days ago - this is the reply I recieved from Neil Marson (Lifeboat Operations Manager at the station):

\"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\"


I wrote to Neil again in the early hours of thismorning, asking if he could let me have the e-mail addresses of Michael Vlasto and the Chief Executive of the RNLI, Andrew Freemantle.

This is his 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 [email protected]

Andrew Freemantle [email protected]


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\'ve drafted a letter to all 3 and will be sending it tomorrow.

If you have any strong feelings against what the RNLI are proposing, then I\'d urge you also to write to them, voicing your feelings on the matter. The more who write, the louder our voice on this.
 
I\'ve sent emails to the 2 addresses.

Please feel free to append my name on the letter to Jock Slater.

I\'ll PM you my name & address.
 
I\'ve sent emails to the 2 addresses.

Please feel free to append my name on the letter to Jock Slater.

I\'ll PM you my name & address.
Click to expand...

me too! I\'m not the best letter writer in the world, so please add my name to a few wise words that might make then see sense.
 
Just sent my two e-mails aswell.
Also please feel free to add my name to help in any way.

Martin Grady

If you need my address no problem.

Cheers.
 
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. 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 boats 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 17/4/2006 by 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]
 
Letter from Michael Vlasto 12th April 2006, would have posted sooner but have not been here

I am writing to inform you that, following a two-year review of lifeboat cover in the Tees Bay area, the RNLI\'s Trustees have decided to close Teesmouth Lifeboat Station. You may already have seen media coverage of this issue but I wanted to ensure that, as a valued supporter of the RNLI, all the facts behind this decision were made available to you.

I am sure you understand that difficult decisions of this nature are only ever made for very sound operational reasons. In this case, there is a clear over-provision of lifeboat cover in the area, with two all weather lifeboats only four miles apart (Teesmouth and Hartlepool) and a total of eight modern, effective lifeboats along that 25 mile stretch of coastline.

It is important to realise that 75% of the 108 services carried out by Teesmouth all weather lifeboat since 2000 could have been safely undertaken by the Hartlepool and Redcar inshore lifeboats. The remaining services (no more than five or six annually) could have been covered by the new Hartlepool all weather lifeboat. In addition the lifeboats at Staithes & Runswick and Whitby can be deployed to Tees Bay if required.

As a supporter of the RNLI, you will appreciate that we have a duty to make the best use of our voluntary donations. This means we must run our lifeboat service as efficiently as possible and can not continue to maintain lifeboats where there is no clear operational need.

The pattern of lifeboat cover on the North East coast dates back to a time when RNLI lifeboats were only capable of eight knots and every small port had a fishing fleet. Today\'s all weather lifeboats are far more powerful than their predecessors, offer more protection to their volunteer crews and have a top speed of 25 knots. Also, the demands on our lifeboat service have changed greatly in recent years, with more than two-thirds of rescues now being carried out by our inshore lifeboats.

Tees Bay is served by one of the highest concentrations of lifeboats anywhere on the 11,072 mile coastline of mainland Great Britain. Therefore despite the withdrawal of one all weather lifeboat from Tees Bay, the RNLI is confident that the remaining seven lifeboats and their volunteer crews will still be well able to meet the RNLI\'s `performance standards\'- that is, to reach at least 90 per cent of all casualties within 10 nautical miles of its lifeboat stations within 30 minutes of launch, in all weathers.


Throughout our long history, the RNLI has provided a life saving service to meet the demands of sea users and reconfiguring lifeboat cover in this way is not a new phenomenon. We have always adjusted lifeboat cover around the coast to keep pace with the type and level of rescues taking place and advances in technology - we must continue to do this. However, please be reassured that we would never withdraw a lifeboat if there was a strong operational reason for maintaining it. The RNLI exists to save lives at sea and this will always be the driving force behind any decisions relating to lifeboat cover.

Teesmouth lifeboat station has a long and distinguished tradition, however this is a sad but necessary step if the RNLI is to continue to respond to the changing needs of all sea-users and thereby continue to meet its charitable objectives. Nevertheless we recognise that this closure will arouse strong feelings, particularly among Teesmouth\'s committed crew and many loyal supporters, all of whom the Institution thanks whole-heartedly for all they have done to save lives at sea, but it is the right decision and we very much hope that they will remain involved with the RNLI and indeed are encouraging them to become involved with other local lifeboat stations.

I hope this letter has helped explain the rationale behind the Trustees\' decision but if you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at the address overleaf.

Finally, may I take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support of the RNLI, without which our volunteer crews would not have the boats, equipment and training they need to carry out their life-saving task.


Yours sincerely
Michael Vlasto
Operations Director
 
worrying situation - I cant stop thinking about 5 years ago when i was in Poole harbour beside the RNLI headquarters and i was amazed to see about a dozen of the large lifeboats like we had at Sunderland all moored up doing nothing, i wonder if they are allways there and aswell as 400million + in the bank they have a \"bank\" of spare boats too.
Anyway i done my bit - sent emails & a letter
 
I recieved an email back saying more or less that the decision has been made and Hartlepool station will provide all the cover that is needed. :mad:
 
Just got this ...

Dear Mr Moore

Thank you for your email regarding the closure of Teesmouth Lifeboat Station and detailing the background to North East Sea Angling and your fund raising efforts on behalf of the RNLI.

The decision to close the lifeboat station was taken following extensive and careful consideration of all the facts, including consultation with the lifeboat stations in the area. It was based on sound operational reasons, in this case an over-provision of lifeboat cover in the area.

PD Teesport\'s generous offer to provide a berth, in some years, is not guaranteed and in any event we already have suitable facilities at Hartlepool and therefore there is no need to wait a further 3-5 years without the certainty of a new berth at Teesmouth.

Although the Teesmouth crew building was completed in 2004 at a cost of £360,000, the process started in 1999. Since then faster lifeboats have been introduced and this has led us to re -evaluate lifeboat cover in the Tees Bay area. We are currently considering ways in which the building could still be of benefit to the Institution.

The RNLI has always adjusted lifeboat cover, around the coast, to meet operational demands. I am confident that the remaining lifeboats along this stretch of coast will continue to meet the RNLI\'s performance standards. With regard to opening new stations then if an operational requirement is identified elsewhere on the coast then this will be considered.

I understand why the decision to close Teesmouth, a station with a long and distinguished history, is being opposed but I can assure you that the RNLI is totally committed to saving lives at sea and this decision would not have been taken if we felt it would put lives at sea at greater risk. We are equally committed to our volunteer crew and supporters without whom the RNLI could not exist.

Thank you for writing and for the support North East Sea Angling has provided to the north east lifeboat stations over the past four years. This support has been very much appreciated and I hope you feel that you can continue to support the volunteer work carried out by lifeboat crew.






Michael Vlasto OBE FRIN FNI
Operations Director
Royal National Lifeboat Institution
West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1HZ
Tel: 01202 663154 Fax: 01202 663303
Email: [email protected]
 
I have a deduction taken from my salary every month for the RNLI . HAVING LEARNED WHAT THEY HAVE IN RESERVE I MUST NOW REVIEW THE SITUATION & MAY INSIST THE MONTHLY AMOUNT BE PAID STRAIGHT TO LOCAL LIFE BOAT OR I WILL MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO STOP THE PAYEMENTS WE HAVE ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS ALBEIT BEUTIFULL COASTLINES IN THE COUNTRY. TO MAKE CUTS TO SAFETY COVER MUST BE AN ISSUE WHEN LOCAL ELECTIONS COME AROUND
 

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