Blackpool Tower goes yellow for RNLI’s Mayday campaign

Blackpool Tower will make a striking sight after dark, an unmissable reminder to residents and visitors alike to ‘do your bit, fund our kit’ and help to fundraise this May.

Mayday, the RNLI’s annual national fundraising campaign, runs for the whole month of May across the UK and Ireland. This year, the RNLI hopes to raise £750,000 through Mayday, which will be used to fund essential kit for the charity’s selfless volunteer lifeboat crews. Last year in Lancashire, there were 151 lifeboat launches and 68 people offered assistance.

Keith Horrocks, RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager at Blackpool says: ‘We are delighted Blackpool Tower is supporting this year’s Mayday campaign by going yellow – like the volunteers’ iconic yellow crew kit – on 5/6 May. Helping to raise awareness and funds for the RNLI’s crucial kit is a hugely worthy cause, and one that is particularly appropriate given the close proximity of Blackpool Lifeboat Station.’

Money raised through Mayday will help RNLI lifeboat crews to face the harshest conditions at sea with the best kit possible. It currently costs £1,598 to provide one all-weather lifeboat crew member with all of the kit needed when responding to the call for help.

A recently-announced partnership with global brand Helly Hansen will see all-weather lifeboat crews supplied with new kit later this year, providing better endurance levels and greater freedom of movement for the charity’s crew members.

RNLI fundraisers across the country will also be joining Blackpool Tower in going yellow for Mayday – just like volunteer crews do every day to save lives at sea. Anyone who wishes to get involved can visit RNLI.org/mayday to register for a free Mayday fundraising pack or donate to the campaign online. You can also show support on social media, joining the conversation using the hashtag #MaydayEveryDay, or buy a yellow crew member pin badge.

Keith adds: ‘Our crews rely on lifesaving kit, like their yellow wellies, lifejackets and helmets, when they go out in all weathers to save lives. We’re delighted that Blackpool Tower will be joining us in going yellow this Mayday, and we hope that many local people will be inspired to lend their support as well.’

Notes to editors

RNLI media contacts

For more information, please contact Danielle Rush, RNLI Regional Media Manager on 07786 668829. 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.

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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.