The crew of the East Anglian Air Ambulance receive the Fred. Olsen Social Engagement Group’s donation of £5,000 from Mike Rodwell, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Managing Director (2nd from right), at its airbase at Cambridge Airport.

Press release - 26 March 2018 18:07

Fred. Olsen-related companies support the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and East Anglian Air Ambulance with a further £10,000 donation

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is once again proud to pass on a donation of £10,000 to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (‘RNLI’) and East Anglian Air Ambulance (‘EAAA’), following a similar donation of £10,000 to these two worthy causes in April 2017.

The donation of £5,000 each to the RNLI and EAAA has been brought about by the continuing generosity of the Fred. Olsen Social Engagement Group, acting on behalf of Bonheur ASA (Bonheur) – the ultimate parent company of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, based in Oslo, Norway – in order to benefit the safety of passengers and staff of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.

As an integral part of its Corporate Social Responsibility programme, Bonheur makes discretionary annual contributions towards, not only social and charitable causes, but also projects and activities considered to be close to its sphere of interest. As such, donations towards third-party air and sea rescue activities – in support of safeguarding both the thousands of passengers and staff members aboard Fred. Olsen-related seagoing vessels – have been identified as falling within this remit.

Mike Rodwell, Managing Director of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said:

“We are once again delighted to be able to pass on donations from the Fred. Olsen Social Engagement Group to the RNLI and East Anglian Air Ambulance, which provide invaluable life-saving services on land and at sea.

"Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is proud to be the RNLI’s longest-standing corporate partner, having worked with this seafaring charity since the 1960s. Our close relationship with the East Anglian Air Ambulance also means that we can help to support this vital resource across our region and the county of Suffolk, where our Ipswich Head Office is located.

"With our continued focus on upholding the highest standards of safety and well-being in all areas of our operation, it is important that Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines works with the relevant agencies and organisations, in order to be able to provide the best facilities for our passengers and colleagues in the rare event that the worst should ever happen.”

Catherine Kaye, Corporate Partnerships Manager for the RNLI, said:

“On behalf of our volunteer lifeboat crews and lifeguards, we thank you very much for your generous donation of £5,000. The RNLI has created a ring of safety around the coasts of the UK and Ireland, but we could not do it without the kind generosity of our donors, such as the Fred. Olsen Social Engagement Group, and our extraordinary volunteers.”

Sophie Mathew, Area Fundraising Manager (Suffolk) for the East Anglian Air Ambulance, said:

“Thank you so much to Fred. Olsen Social Engagement Group for this incredible donation. To get the first sum was fantastic, to get another £5,000 is just amazing. They have been an absolute pleasure to work with and we are delighted to have been one of their chosen charities. The funds they have donated will help us keep our helicopters in the sky and our crews saving lives.”

The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea, and has saved over 142,200 lives since it was formed in 1824. It provides a 24-hour lifeboat search and rescue service around the coasts of the UK and Republic of Ireland, as well as a seasonal lifeguard service on many of the busiest beaches in England and Wales. The RNLI also works to promote sea and beach safety. In 2016, RNLI lifeboat crews and lifeguards saved a total of 558 lives.

East Anglian Air Ambulance is a 365-day helicopter emergency medical service covering Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. In 2017, the charity undertook nearly 2,844 rescue missions, serving an area of over 5,000 square miles, at an average cost of £3,500 per mission. Since its creation in 2000, it has attended nearly 20,000 life-saving missions, and can reach patients anywhere in East Anglia within 25 minutes.

Photo caption: The crew of the East Anglian Air Ambulance receive the Fred. Olsen Social Engagement Group’s donation of £5,000 from Mike Rodwell, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Managing Director (2^nd from right), at its airbase at Cambridge Airport.

For further information on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, visit the website at www.fredolsencruises.com. To find out more about the RNLI, go to www.rnli.org.uk, and learn more about the East Anglian Air Ambulance at www.eaaa.org.uk