RADIOS BILL MAY SCUPPER RNLI

[Lakelord]

This has been doing the rounds on email but in case you haven't seen it...

LIFEBOAT crews fear being scuppered by crippling new charges for using
their radios from Ofcom, the communications regulator. The RNLI could
see the price of using its VHF emergency frequencies rise to £250,000
under plans to charge the full commercial rate.

The charity, which saves hundreds of lives every year currently pays
an annual £48,000 at a discounted rate of 50 per cent. It relies on
donations and fears the move will have a disastrous impact on
fundraising. Peter Bradley, RNLI operations staff officer, said: 'It's
a lot of money when you think in terms of lifeboat days and little old
ladies collecting pound coins.'

'We could buy several inshore lifeboats for the same amount.'

'The Government rely on us to provide this search-and-rescue service,
at a cost of £124 million a year, but they want to charge us for doing
it!'

Ofcom has set out plans to bring 'market forces' into maritime and
civil aviation communications in a policy it calls Administered
Incentive Pricing.

£250,000 represents an awful lot of charity collections, even more so
in the current economic climate so, if like me you feel strongly
enough about this, please sign the petition below.

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/RNLI-RF-licences/

[illmonkey]

Well done. Up the fees (which is a stupid fee to begin with) for a charity that saves lives!

Anything for some easy month. I wonder how many have sold their grandmothers?

[matchmaker]

Pearoast

here