RNLI lifeboat moving through a wave towards a cloudy sky

Donate dormant funds and help save every one

Funds from dormant accounts help to protect our volunteers at sea.

Your donation could fund the kit that keeps our volunteer crews safe, launching to the rescue in dangerous conditions. Or it could help maintain their lifeboat, breaking through huge waves to reach a frightened person tiring as they struggle to stay afloat.

As a charity independent of government, we rely on voluntary donations to power our vital work. This year marks 200 years of RNLI lifesaving. It’s a story of both courage and kindness that, with the support of donations from dormant funds, will continue into the next century.

3 steps to donate dormant funds

  1. 1

    Inform the SRA

    For balances over £500, use the Solicitors Regulation Authority's (SRA) form to apply to withdraw funds from the client account – you can find this form at sra.org.uk (opens in a new window). To donate individual account balances up to £500, this step is not needed and you can go straight to step 2.
  2. 2

    Contact us

    Phone our Supporter Experience Team on 0300 300 0062 or email [email protected] to tell us you have dormant funds to donate. We’ll send you an indemnity form together with our bank details.
  3. 3

    Make your donation

    Donate via bank transfer. Once we’ve received your donation you’ll get an acknowledgement from us, thanking you for your kind support.

Important information

For balances up to £500

Firms can usually donate balances of £500 or less to charity without asking for approval from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), provided certain conditions, as set by the SRA, are met. Please see Rule 5.1(c) of the Solicitors' Account Rules and the SRA's website (opens in a new window) for further details.

For balances over £500

For balances over £500, the SRA requires the withdrawal of residual client balances form (opens in a new window) to be completed and returned to: [email protected] or Professional Ethics, SRA, The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham, B1 1RN or DX720293 Birmingham 47.

The SRA is the regulator for England and Wales only. Other rules will apply in other jurisdictions.

Tommy's Story

When the Weston-super-Mare crew pulled 13-year-old Tommy and his friend to safety last November, the two had had the fright of their lives. Exploring the rocks near Birnbeck Pier, a rising tide cut them off and they were forced to climb higher up the cliffs as darkness fell. Tommy’s mum Ann-Marie said her 'heart just sank' when the call came from the police. But because of the kindness of donations, our volunteer lifesavers were there to bring the children home safely.

Tommy and his mum were grateful to have the RNLI by their side that night. And we would be so grateful if you would consider being by our side too. If you do decide to donate dormant funds to the RNLI, thank you.

Phone our Supporter Experience Team on 0300 300 0062 or email [email protected] to tell us you have dormant funds to donate. We’ll send you an indemnity form together with our bank details.