powered by volunteers, supported by donations
we need your support
We’re a charity. We rely on donations to keep our 40 volunteers and 3 vessels ready to respond safely to those in need on the water.
3 vessels
Our vessels operate in a harsh environment. Regular maintenance and checks are significant ongoing expenses.
BIG facilities
Our launch technology, comms / incident rooms & IT equipment are our operational heart. Keeping things safe, rescue ready and compliant requires recurring funding.
40+ Volunteers
Our committed volunteers are dedicated to our mission of saving lives on the water. It costs over $3,000 to equip just one boat crew with PPE.
OUR funding
We are a charity and our existence relies on the generosity of our donors and supporters.
Each year we need to raise at least $60-80,000 to fully fund our operations, replace gear and invest in keeping our crew safe with the latest equipment.
That figure is in addition to the financial assistance provided by Coastguard and reimbursements for search and rescue callouts.
Your support makes a difference—check out the examples below. Every dollar helps.
food supplies
first aid
crew ppe
fuel the crew
Help feed the crew! We keep food and water supplies onboard our boats to keep our crew fuelled up so they can do their jobs.
Some missions have been 6-7 hours: our area covers from the Hurunui rivermouth to south of the Banks Peninsula.
Re-stock first aid gear
Re-stock our first aid supplies. Our crew are all trained in first aid, in fact we have several professional medics.
The first aid gear needs restocking, and we have a lot of it – on each vessel and in our purpose-built first aid room on-station.
Equip a boat crew member with a wetsuit
Kit out our boat crew. The crew on our jet boat and our rescue jet ski get really wet. Their safety is paramount so each person has a custom-made high performance wetsuit. We’re also trialling drysuits which are expensive items too.
Make a Difference - please donate now
We also welcome payment via internet banking.
Our bank a/c: Sumner Lifeboat Institution Inc, account # 03 0855 0358921 00.
If paying via internet banking please send an email to info@coastguardsumner.nz with your details so we can send you a receipt!
OtHER WAYS TO SUPPORT US
DONATE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
We’ll help publicise your support and your business
SPONSORSHIP
Talk to us about how we can work together
MAKE A BEQUEST
Leave a lasting legacy to Coastguard Sumner in your Will
Please email us at info@coastguardsumner.nz
We’ll pass you on to the relevant person to discuss your support. Thank you.
the Ian Dewe bequest
Ian Dewe was a former crew member of Sumner Lifeboat (as our unit was then known). Sumner Lifeboat was dear to Ian’s heart and when he passed away he left a significant sum of money in his Will to our unit. We used it to purchase our latest rescue jet ski, which we have named Ian Dewe Rescue in his honour.