# Crowdfunding appeal to buy a new hovercraft for RNLI raises over £112k - Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2021/08/08/crowdfunding-appeal-to-buy-a-new-hovercraft-for-rnli-raises-over-112k/ - Published: 2021-08-08T23:15:04+01:00 - Author: Howard Lake **One man’s crowdfunding campaign to raise enough to buy a new hovercraft for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and name it ‘The Flying Farage’ after Nigel Farage has raised £112,000 in a week, without including Gift Aid.** The campaign was [set up on GoFundMe](https://www.gofundme.com/f/buy-a-new-rnli-hovercraft-called-the-flying-farage) by Simon Harris on 31 July in response to Mr Farage’s criticism of the RNLI for saving all lives, according to its charitable objects, rather than choosing to let some people drown in the Channel. Mr Farage, former UKIP leader and a new presenter on GB News, had objected to the RNLI for providing what he called a “taxi service for illegal trafficking gangs”. Farage added that he supported the charity but that [he had won fights against “bigger and uglier”](https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/flying-farage-hovercraft-nigel-farage-gb-news-b948812.html) people than the RNLI. ## Advertisement > I stand by my comments that the [@RNLI](https://x.com/RNLI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > are being used as a taxi service for illegal trafficking gangs. > Here is my message > to them after they picked a fight with me in The Guardian today. ⬇️ [pic.twitter.com/MsyM59bIUJ](https://t.co/MsyM59bIUJ) > — Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) [July 28, 2021](https://x.com/Nigel_Farage/status/1420469932761010178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) His criticism, echoed by others, helped generate a surge of donations to the life- saving charity, [reaching £200,000 in one day](https://metro.co.uk/2021/07/30/rnli-receives-200000-donations-after-farages-taxi-service-jibes-15012180/), compared to the average of £7,000 a day at this time. The [RNLI issued a statement](https://rnli.org/news-and-media/2021/july/28/statement-on-the-humanitarian-work-of-the-rnli-in-the-english-channel) in the wake of the criticism together with a video of the kind of lifesaving rescues it undertakes in the Channel. Mark Dowie, its Chief Executive, said that the charity had a “moral and legal duty” to step in and that he was “very proud” of volunteers. > We're proud of the lifesaving work our volunteers do in the Channel – we make > no apology for it. Those we rescue are vulnerable people in danger & distress. > Each of them is someone’s father, mother, son or daughter – every life is precious. > This is why we launch: [pic.twitter.com/lORd9NRpdP](https://t.co/lORd9NRpdP) > — RNLI (@RNLI) [July 28, 2021](https://x.com/RNLI/status/1420319266746871834?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) Fundraising Director Jayne George [told the Metro.co.uk](https://metro.co.uk/2021/07/30/rnli-receives-200000-donations-after-farages-taxi-service-jibes-15012180/) that: > “We are overwhelmed with the huge level of support we have received in the last > couple of days. > “This was never a fundraising campaign – we simply wanted to tell the story of > our crews and make it clear that our charity exists to save lives at sea.” ## The Flying Farage? Simon Harris only suggested the name for the vessel and indeed the type of the vessel. It clearly attracted attention, as a British version of ‘[rage donations](https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/01/30/trumps-ban-refugees-prompts-fundraising-giving-campaigns/)‘ or [newsjacking](https://fundraising.co.uk/books/newsjacking-the-urgent-genius-of-real-time-advertising/) in order to defend a person, idea or charity that has been threatened or criticised by, usually, right wing commentators or politicians. He wrote: ‘I feel that this would be incredibly appropriate due to Mr Farage taking such an active interest in the RNLI’s activities right now. He added: “We will purchase a pint of real English ale to smash the front in the naming ceremony. “If there is loads of money left over we may even buy a second vessel and call it‘ The Galloping Grimes’ or ‘The Hovering Hopkins’, he said, referring to the right- wing commentators Darren Grimes and Katie Hopkins. Grimes had referred to the RNLI’s activities in the Channel as “as “deeply irresponsible”. **SEE ALSO: [Spoof Katie Hopkins JustGiving appeal raises funds for the Trussell Trust](https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/03/15/spoof-katie-hopkins-justgiving-appeal-raises-funds-trussell-trust/)( 15 March 2017)** Does this mean that the RNLI will commission a new hovercraft in the name ‘The Flying Farage’? It is most unlikely. It could easily be deemed party political and therefore not permissible for a charity. Harris could not, and does not wish to, dictate to the RNLI how to spend the money he raises. On his GoFundMe page he has stated that “All funds will be paid directly to the RNLI and a final decision on how to spend the money – or what to name the craft – will be left up to the organisation.” In an update posted to his GoFundMe page, Harris added that the vessel would almost certainly not be a hovercraft, mainly because “they are only for use in areas of large mud flats like Southend… or Morecambe.” He now understands that “for the English Channel kind of area, it would be far better to spend the cash on an in-shore vessel and these go for about £90k.” He also added an update on the likelihood of ‘The Flying Farage’ ever adorning a RNLI boat. “For starters, there is a risk that Nigel will just sit back and bask in the glory of his named vessel being out saving lives, and there’s also the fact that I’ve been told by serving volunteers in no uncertain terms that it’s just generally a terrible idea. However, there’s nothing to stop us being a little more subtle with the name, such as ‘The Flying Milkshake’ or anything else you can come up with to show that this sort of attack on the RNLI from the ‘hard right’ is just plain twatty.” Because ‘the Flying Milkshake’ refers to the throwing of a milkshake at Mr Farage, there is no chance that would ever be endorsed by the RNLI. There have been other suggestions for a non-controversial name, including that of a RAF pilot who during the Second World War received recognition for rescuing pilots downed in the Channel – irrespective of whether they were Allied and German pilots. ## Farage continues his criticism Mr Farage incidentally decided to sustain his argument with the RNLI, pointing out that one of the RNLI’s founders had inherited wealth from the proceeds of a slave plantation. Right-wing commentators and politicians have not welcomed charities’ attempts to re-evaluate their role in benefiting from the proceeds of historic slavery, so there is some irony in Mr Farage using such an issue to criticise a charity. > Sir William Hillary who founded the RNLI was the inheritor of a slave plantation. > > If you get involved in cancel culture it can come back to bite you. [pic.twitter.com/RU8CiRAFS0](https://t.co/RU8CiRAFS0) > — Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) [August 4, 2021](https://x.com/Nigel_Farage/status/1423011581588344832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) The RNLI has however already been [transparent in acknowledging some of its founders’ links to historic slavery](https://rnli.org/about-us/our-history/timeline/1824-our-foundation): > Here you go, rather than telling half the story you now have the full picture. > [pic.twitter.com/O4r8q86KCL](https://t.co/O4r8q86KCL) > — Craig Thurling (@craigybaby111) [August 4, 2021](https://x.com/craigybaby111/status/1423018500570951682?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) Harris ended his update today by pointing out that “at this rate, we could end up taking this incredible organisation out on a shopping spree”. ## More RNLI fundraising * **[RNLI’s Storm Ciara Facebook post raises over £26,000](https://fundraising.co.uk/2020/02/19/rnli-storm-ciara-facebook-post-raises-over-26000/)( 19 February 2020)** * **[First ever street collection in aid of RNLI to be recreated in Manchester](https://fundraising.co.uk/2021/10/05/first-ever-street-collection-in-aid-of-rnli-to-be-recreated/)( 5 October 2021)** * **[How the Mail on Sunday’s criticism of RNLI backfired](https://fundraising.co.uk/2019/09/17/how-the-mail-on-sundays-criticism-of-rnli-backfired/)( 17 September 2019)** ## Comments ### By: HowardLake - Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2021/08/08/crowdfunding-appeal-to-buy-a-new-hovercraft-for-rnli-raises-over-112k/#comment-3977 - Published: 2021-08-09T02:09:46+01:00 More on the campaign: [https://twitter.com/Independent/status/1423268748803334145](https://twitter.com/Independent/status/1423268748803334145)