Are you ready to give it some welly and answer Larne RNLI’s Mayday call?

Beginning on Monday 1 May – the May Day bank holiday – and running for the whole month of May, 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 across the UK and Ireland to fund the crucial kit volunteer crews rely on, like lifejackets, helmets and the RNLI’s iconic yellow wellies.

Larne RNLI is running a family favourite, the Duck Derby, on Saturday 13 May 12noon at the Inver Bridge. Hundreds of ducks will be launched down the river in a bid to win the race. If you want to get involved why not sponsor a duck for £1 and cheer your duck down the Inver river rapids!

The 2017 duck derby is a little different as Hastings Hotel ducks will be accompanying RNLI ducks and Larne RNLI is excited to announce the top prize is an overnight stay in Ballygally Castle Hotel which has kindly been donated by their friends at Hastings Hotels.

Thanks to the generous support from local businesses other prizes include a Facial at Eleganze Hair and Beauty, an Inver Garden Centre Voucher, Forever Living products, a prize from McFarlanes and fun children’s’ prizes! You can sponsor a duck on race day or Larne RNLI volunteers will be in Murrayfield Arcade on the 3-5 May from 10am-4pm.

Another Mayday fundraising event is The Great Northern Retros Run, leaving Larne on Saturday 27 May. The convoy will be travelling via Malin Head to Culdaff for camping and a BBQ. Seeing the array of retro vehicles driving up the Antrim Coast is a sight to behold but not only that, this is the second year running that the Northern Retros organise this event to raise money for the RNLI.

Allan Dorman, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Larne RNLI, said: ‘Our volunteer crew members are willing to drop everything to go and save lives at sea when their pagers are activated. Our lifeboat crew kit is absolutely vital when we’re out in all weathers saving lives. The continued support from the public and local businesses in Larne helps to ensure our crews are prepared for the harshest conditions.’

With 4,800 volunteer lifeboat crew members providing a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts, money raised through Mayday will help kit out RNLI crews. It costs £1,593 to provide an all-weather lifeboat crew member and £1,881 for an inshore 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 for more information on local fundraising events or register for a free Mayday pack.

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RNLI media contacts

For information please contact Fiona Kirkpatrick Larne RNLI Volunteer Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer Tel: 077 3805 9405 email [email protected] or Niamh Stephenson RNLI Public Relations Manager on 00 353 87 1254 124 email [email protected] or Nuala McAloon RNLI Press Officer Tel: 00 353 87 6483547 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.