Was quite surprised to read about the funding the RNLI is giving to foreign charities. I can understand the 'good cause' but I think they really should have thought it through.
Royal National Lifeboat Institution, would not seem to fit with ' International.' and they have probably done themselves more harm than good.
An article in The Times raised the subject . Here is the response from the RNLI and I'm not sure their reasoning is justifiable.
https://www.thenational.ae/world/eu...ck-at-burkini-funding-criticism-1.910708Britain’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution has hit out at reports highlighting its funding of burkinis for Muslim women in Africa while staff in the UK are being laid off.
The charity was increasing its budget for overseas programmes while at the same time preparing to cut 135 jobs in Britain, The Sunday Times reported.
One project that benefited from the more than 10 per cent increase in funding in the past year was the Panje Project in Tanzania, which provided women and girls with burkinis while teaching them to swim, the paper reported.
“We currently spend less than 2 per cent of the RNLI’s total annual expenditure on our international drowning prevention activity and we actively seek donations specifically for this work,†the lifeboat institution said.
The RNLI said providing burkinis was a “way of enabling girls in strict Muslim countries to get into the water without compromising their cultural and religious beliefsâ€.
“The RNLI has been involved in the Panje Project, with the majority of the RNLI’s involvement funded by a donor who specifically wanted the money to go towards this project,†the UK charity said.
The UK charity, which has reportedly increased its foreign expenditure from £1.1 million (Dh5m) to £3.3m over the past five years with a further increase of £400,000 this year, was also criticised for funding creches in Bangladesh
Andrew Bridgen, a Conservative MP, urged the charity to rethink its priorities.
“At a time when income is down and demand is increasing in the British Isles, it should be sticking to its core priorities or it could have a detrimental effect on UK giving,†Mr Bridgen said.
In response, the RNLI pointed out the profound effect of its work overseas.
The creche places, for example, reduce a child’s risk of drowning by 82 per cent.
“We do not consider this political correctness," the institute said.
"We are a charity that our volunteers, supporters and those we rescue can trust to do the right thing, whether that’s rescuing those in peril, keeping our volunteers safe or making sure anyone who is part of the RNLI feels welcome and valued."