In 2009 our lifeguards were involved in over 8000 incidents and assisted nearly 10000 people during the May to September season. In 2000 the RNLI were faced with a new challenge when asked to respond to several flooding events both here in the UK and abroad in Mozambique.  I was asked to lead the RNLI teams in major floods in Lewes, Sussex and also Maidstone, Kent.  These events proved to be a huge learning curve and we quickly recognised that flooding required a number of different skills to those utilised by our conventional service on the coast.  We established a group of lifeboat volunteers to form an international flood rescue team, part of which I lead and which has since been sent to Guyana on flood rescue efforts.  These same team members have assisted in virtually all national flood events and I led the RNLI to the major flooding in Gloucester and Norfolk in 2007.  The flood rescue teams are provided with a variety of extra skills including swiftwater rescue training to enable them to operate safely and effectively in dangerous and dynamic situations.  This training and experience has proved very beneficial and the RNLI has become a significant proportion of recognised national flood rescue assets.  I have recently spent 9 months seconded to Defra drafting a national strategy for multi agency flood rescue.  This has included writing specifications and standards for training and equipment as well as drafting command and control processes to be utilised by all flood rescue agencies including the fire and rescue service, mountain rescue and RNLI. The RNLI is only able to provide this outstanding service by the kind generosity of the public.  The annual cost of the RNLI service is in excess of £138 million.  A large proportion of this money comes from legacy donors with the remainder raised by active fundraising and proceeds from investments.  The RNLI is a truly amazing organisation and I feel tremendously proud to be a part of it.  The UK should be justly proud of the RNLI staff and volunteers for their dedication to this tremendous cause of saving lives. Full details of the RNLI and how to support us can be found at http://www.rnli.org.uk   Images from the April ITAM