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Steve says: "I've been involved as a volunteer fundraiser for the Hessle Branch of the RNLI since 2001. The Hessle branch of the Lifeboat service has 50 members and organises all sorts of events during the year to help raise money and awareness of the service.

Due to my wife's poor health I gave up work full-time in 2001 to look after her and it was at that time I decided to get involved with a charity that has always been close to a hobby of mine; sea fishing off the beaches and boats around the country. I'd always been aware of the number of times my fellow sea anglers had been saved by the Lifeboats and thought I could give something back.

Stormy Stan and players from Hull City

I'm happy to say I've been able to use the professional skills I gained during my working life to support the service, although I've been called on to do the occasional 'silly' thing too.

Beneath the Stormy Stan costume, it's your truly rubbing shoulders with some of Hull City's finest. Stormy Stan is the RNLI's (Lifeboats) mascot and the picture was takenÌý last year at Hull City's Training Ground in Cottingham. I'm pictured here with Boaz Myhill and Sam Ricketts - to promote the national RNLI's SOS (Save Our Souls Day). This was part of a programme of support the football club has been involved withÌý over the last two years.

Next year, the date for Save our Souls is 25th January which also happens to coincide with the first public performance of Dave Windass' new play; 'On A Shout' which will be performed at the Hull Truck. The play is of course about the Lifeboat service. We're hoping for a three week run and pleased too that Dave,( the author of the highly successful play, 'Sully' based on the life of rugby legend Clive Sullivan) has chosen the service as a suitable subject to base his work on.

Lifeboat fundraisers visit the KC

This picture is of our team of RNLI volunteer fundraisers at the KC stadium before the Hull City vÌýSouthend match in April 2007 at the end of last season. We've had a few collections at the KC Stadium and a sponsored prize draw has taken place which was instigated by former chairman Adam Pearson with great support from people at theÌý KC such as John North, Danny Pratt and John Cooper, the Stadium Manager. Phil Brown the Tigers' manager was great andÌýagreed for us to visit the training ground.

A cheque presentation for the RNLI

The RNLI received a lot of support from a wide cross section of businesses, here's a picture taken at the AGM of the East Yorkshire Centre of theÌýCaravan Club in OctoberÌý when the RNLIÌý was presented with a cheque for £3419.Ìý Pictured left to right: Paul Devey, Charity Coordinator Caravan Club, Joyce Sherburn, Chair Hessle Branch RNLI, Steve Robinson, Press and Publicity Officer Hessle RNLI. ÌýThe East YorkshireÌýCaravan Club who picked us as their charity and raised over £3400 in 2007.

I'm pleased to help in the organisation of events through the year alongside all our other members. We've just coming to the end of our most successful year ever, since the Branch was formed in 1969. We've raisedÌý £19,000 this year which is up on the £12,600 we raised last year and I'm pleased to say we've managed to triple our fundraising figures since 2004.

The picture here was taken at the Hull University in May I was presented with a cheque by the President of Hull University Rag 2006/2007, Felicity Pullinger. The RNLI was one of many charities to benefit from the students'Ìýfundraising efforts and we're very grateful for their suport. I'm very much involved in helping with theÌý press and publicity for our branch of the RNLI alongside one of our other members, Graham Marshall. Graham is our professional photographer and looks after the content on the Beehive web site.

I enjoy dealing with these external organisations which are vital to our fundraising as are our ownÌý members and the wider local community in Hessle. We have always had tremendous support from All Saints' Church Hessle over the years and the key attraction for me being involved in the Lifeboats is theÌýunstinting commitment shown by our volunteer lifeboat crews and the hard work by so many people in the branches in the area.

I'm still very much a "novice" when compared with many people for instance our Chairman Joyce Sherburn, Vice Chairman Marion Westerdale and Treasurer and Souvenir Secretary Janet Marshall have between themÌý given over 100 years of service to the Lifeboats and each has been honoured by the RNLI nationally with some of the highest awards which can beÌý given to volunteer fundraisers.

I see my role as trying to ensure the RNLI features in a regular fashion in the local media andÌý to ensure all our events get as much good publicity as possible - over the last two years we have been really helpedÌý throughÌýthe Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio Humberside Making Waves Campaign, - as a direct fundraising activity andÌýTV programmes such as Coast and Seaside Rescue and Â鶹ԼÅÄÌý Look North's films about the Humber Lifeboat and the other emergency services - all these have really helped our fundraising efforts.