Lifeboat appeal nears target

Press, 20 November 1981, Page 6

Lifeboat appeal nears target

Things are looking up for the Sumner Lifeboat institution, with almost $12,000. already given: towards buying a new rescue jet boat only two days after -an ; appeal opened. Mr W. J. Baguley, the institution’s secretary, said that he had received $513 in the mail yesterday. In addition, a former Sumner, resident, Mrs Marion McTeigue, has given $lO,OOO towards the new $15,000 jet boat, and an appeal organised by Noel Leeming Television and 3ZB has raised $llOO. Mr Baguley said he was “very pleased” about the response. Another $2OOO had also been pledged towards the jet boat, which should be built by February. Any extra money would be used to replace the institution’s larger craft, Rescue 111, which would be replaced about 1990. Even a second-hand craft would cost about $45,000, said Mr Baguley. During a fruitless rescue on Monday evening, Aid II was destroyed on the rocky shore near Scarborough. Rescue 111 now has to berth at Lyttelton because the Scarborough slipway needs repairing.

The institution raises its $BOOO annual running costs by membership subscriptions and small grants from local bodies and businesses. All three candidates for the Lyttelton electorate, the sitting Labour member, Mrs Anne Hercus, Mr Simon Stamers-Smith (National) and Mr Michael Bruce (Social Credit) see the Sumner Lifeboat Institution as a worth while organisation. Both Mrs Hercus and Mr Stamers-Smith said they would be prepared to lobby for more funds for the service from local bodies and the Government. Mrs Hercus said that she would be willing to lobby for more funds for the service for running costs, and capital costs in particular. Mr Stamers-Smith said that in the pastthe Government had not funded lifeboat services. He would pressure local bodies for funds for running costs, and would then press the Government if that was unsuccessful. Mr Bruce did not want to see the service lose its autonomy. He said the service should be self-supporting, but local bodies and the Government should come to its aid if it was in trouble.