Dame Caroline Dinenage, Member of Parliament for Gosport, has today [Wednesday 29^th October] raised to Ministers the challenges facing Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue Service (GAFIRS) and other Independent Lifeboat Services across the country.

Caroline highlighted the decline in charitable giving; the rising costs of providing the search and rescue service; and the prohibitive level of bureaucracy as factors contributing to the hurdles they face. But above all the Gosport MP praised the “dedication” and “life-changing” work of the GAFIRS team and crews, highlighting that their base at Stokes Bay was one of the busiest in the country.

The debate, taking place in Westminster Hall, was hosted by Hamble Valley MP Paul Holmes, who called for a reinstatement of the Rescue Boat Grant Fund. The fund ran between 2015 and 2020 and was worth £5.6 million to independent lifeboat services. GAFIRS received a share of the fund in that time.

The debate gave MPs the opportunity to outline the vital work done by some of the 54 independent lifeboat services across the UK.  Caroline also called for Ministers to do more to encourage philanthropy and charitable giving, which has declined in recent years, raising the fact that the Prime Minister’s Holborn and St Pancras constituency was proportionately the second-least generous for charitable giving.

Caroline said: “The work GAFIRS does is literally life-changing; like many other organisations around the UK, its work is fundamental.

“There are many reasons why fewer people volunteer. One is the economy: times are tough, people work for longer and they do not have much time to spare. But another is the bureaucracy that sometimes acts as an obstacle to people getting involved in volunteering.

“Ministers should look in the round at what can be done to support organisations that save so many lives every year.”

Responding to the debate, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, Lilian Greenwood MP said: “The hon. Member for Gosport rightly spoke about the reduction in charitable and corporate giving. As I am sure she will appreciate, this issue falls outside my portfolio, but I will ensure that the concerns she expressed today are heard by the Minister for Sport, Media, Civil Society and Youth. The hon. Member is right to raise the importance of addressing what we can do as a Government to support the growth of charitable giving and philanthropy.

“I am very proud to be speaking on behalf of the Department responsible for maritime search and rescue, and I am very proud of the volunteers, and their supporting organisations, who form such an important part of that provision. I pay tribute to those organisations and the individuals who work both in response and behind the scenes to provide lifesaving services in whatever circumstances, to whoever needs them.”