The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a charity dedicated to saving lives at sea. It maintains an active fleet of 323 lifeboats based at 231 lifeboat stations around the coasts of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, all run by volunteers. The RNLI has more than 4,600 volunteer crew members, including over 300 women. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboats have saved over 136,275 lives.

External link (official website): http://www.rnli.org.uk/Home.asp