From West End stars to the Fab Four – people are giving it some welly for Mayday

With Mayday beginning on Monday 1 May (the May Day bank holiday) and running for the whole month of May, a host of different groups have taken part in yellow welly-themed photoshoots to raise awareness of the fundraising campaign.

• London: Stars from the hit West End show Stomp took to the stage in yellow wellies
• Manchester: Budding dance stars from Northern Ballet School swapped pointe shoes for yellow wellies
• Liverpool: Beatles tribute band Made in Liverpool donned the wellies as they took to the stage and encouraged people to ‘Help!’ the RNLI this Mayday
• Leeds: Dance students from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance dazzled in the wellies
• Edinburgh: A lone piper paired his kilt and sporran with the eye-catching wellies at Edinburgh Castle
• Dublin: Dancers competing at the World Irish Dance Championships swapped their dance shoes for the seafaring wellies on Ha’penny Bridge

The RNLI’s Mayday campaign is calling on people to ‘do their bit, fund our kit’ with the lifesaving charity hoping to raise £750,000 to fund the crucial kit volunteer crews rely on, like lifejackets, helmets and the RNLI’s iconic yellow wellies.

Stomp performer Serena Morgan said:

‘I enjoyed wearing the RNLI’s iconic yellow wellies so much, that I wanted to take them home with me! It’s easy to forget how important water safety is and how valuable RNLI volunteer crew members are, so we want to inspire people to raise as much money for the charity as they can.’

Rachael Bentley volunteer crew member at Poole Lifeboat Station, which is one of the charity’s busiest stations, says:

‘RNLI volunteer crew members are willing to drop everything to go and save lives at sea when their pagers beep. Our lifeboat crew kit is absolutely vital when we’re out on a shout in all weathers.

‘Last year, RNLI crews across the UK and Ireland rescued 8,643 people and saved 431 lives. The Mayday campaign is our own call for help and we’re asking people to do their bit to fund our kit throughout May.

‘There are all sorts of ways to raise money for Mayday. From wearing wellies to work or doing a sponsored welly walk, to holding a bake sale or doing a sponsored cycle ride. Anyone can register for a free fundraising pack by visiting RNLI.org/Mayday.’

With 4,800 volunteer lifeboat crew members providing a 24-hour rescue service, money raised through Mayday will help kit out RNLI crews so they’re ready to face the harshest conditions at sea. It costs £1,593 to provide an all-weather lifeboat crew member with all of the vital kit they need during a rescue.

Anyone who wants to get involved should visit RNLI.org/Mayday to register for a free Mayday pack. The webpage also contains some great fundraising ideas and provides a list of Mayday fundraising events taking place across the UK and Ireland – many of which have a yellow welly theme.

Notes to Editors

• News releases providing more details and images from each of the specific photoshoots are provided below:
  • Stomp: https://rnli.org/news-and-media/2017/april/24/west-end-stars-stomp-in-to-support-the-rnlis-mayday-campaign
  • Manchester ballet: https://rnli.org/news-and-media/2017/april/24/manchesters-northern-ballet-school-raise-the-barre-in-support-of-the-rnli
  • Liverpool Beatles tribute band: https://rnli.org/news-and-media/2017/april/25/help-beatles-tribute-band-send-out-a-mayday-for-the-rnli
  • Leeds contemporary dancers: https://rnli.org/news-and-media/2017/april/25/leeds-dancers-give-it-some-welly-in-support-of-the-rnlis-mayday-campaign
  • Edinburgh Castle piper: https://rnli.org/news-and-media/2017/april/24/pickled-piper-swaps-shoes-and-spats-for-yellow-wellies-in-support-of-the-rnli
  • Dublin Irish dancers: https://rnli.org/news-and-media/2017/april/16/world-irish-dancing-competitors-swap-their-pumps-for-their-wellies-for-the-rnli

RNLI media contacts

For more information, please contact Luke Blissett, RNLI PR Officer, on 01202 663184 / [email protected]. Alternatively, call the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789 or email [email protected].

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.