This month, the RNLI will hold its biggest day of fundraising – RNLI SOS Day on January 28 – and I would like to invite readers to join me in supporting this tremendous event.

Last year, during our travels at sea, my wife and I had the privilege of meeting the RNLI volunteer crew members at Porthdinllaen and were fortunate enough to go afloat with them during their weekly training exercise.

We also had the good fortune to meet the RNLI volunteers at Fishguard, stopped by the RNLI station at Loch Ness and kept a promise to assist our friends at Penlee lifeboat by presenting their annual crew awards.

These experiences left me in awe of the RNLI volunteers who are ready to stop what they’re doing when their pagers go off, and risk their lives to help others in danger at sea.

They may be at work or spending time with their family, but, at a moment’s notice, they are ready to go.

This winter, RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew members will go out in all types of treacherous weather conditions, including freezing fog or gale force winds, and many of these lifeboat launches are likely take place at night.

And if people are in danger from flooding, the RNLI Flood Rescue Team volunteers are ready to rescue them.

It is truly humbling and reassuring to know that these courageous men and women are there, no matter what, to help save lives. It is also inspiring to see the ongoing support from the public for the RNLI, a charity that relies on donations.

RNLI SOS Day offers a chance for everyone to show their support for this lifesaving service. So why not get involved and help raise funds on January 28 – it will be a great way to start 2011. For fundraising ideas visit rnli.org.uk/sos.

Timothy Spall, On behalf of Royal National Lifeboat Institution, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset