The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has seen a “significant” increase in donations over the past week as its volunteers and staff have been targeted by anti-immigration protestors.
However, some people have also contacted RNLI to withdraw their support for the charity in recent days.
“We’ve seen a significant increase in the number of donations we have received this week, and we’ve welcomed a number of new supporters to our charity,” an RNLI spokesperson said.
“As always, we’re so grateful for the support we receive from our amazing supporters, without them we would not be able to deliver our vital lifesaving service.
“Sadly, we have also been contacted by a number of supporters and members of the public who have informed us that they wish to withdraw their support in recent days.”
The spokesperson also confirmed that the charity’s Poole Old Lifeboat Museum has reopened after closing last week following “several incidents” of protestors verbally abusing its volunteers.
RNLI faced renewed scrutiny last week from anti-immigration protestors for the role it plays in rescuing migrants who encounter difficulties at sea when attempting to cross the English Channel in small boats to reach the UK.
In response, RNLI’s chief executive Peter Sparkes said the charity’s volunteers and staff had been the subject of “online and, in the worst cases, physical abuse” following the spread of “deliberate misinformation and a misunderstanding” of its work.
RNLI also suggested that its staff and volunteers should choose not to wear the charity’s branding in some situations due to the targeting from protestors.
A petition in support of RNLI’s volunteers and staff launched last week and has now garnered over 145,000 signatures.
RNLI has previously seen an increase in donations when forced to defend its position publicly as a humanitarian charity dedicated to saving all lives at sea, irrespective of nationality.
