From Dover Castle to Blackpool Tower – iconic landmarks go yellow for Mayday

Sites including castles, lighthouses, sculptures and even the iconic Blackpool Tower will make a striking sight after dark, reminding residents and visitors 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 volunteer lifeboat crews.

The list of confirmed sites includes:

• 30 April–3 May – National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth

• 30 April and 19 May – Dover Castle, Kent

• 1–13 May – Smeaton’s Tower Lighthouse, Plymouth

• 3 May – Criccieth Castle, Gwynedd

• 4–5 May – Blackpool Tower, Lancashire

• 11 May – Titan Crane, Clydebank

• The Kelpies, Falkirk

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 they need when responding to the call for help.

Gareth Morrison, RNLI Head of Community Engagement, says: ‘Mayday is such an important annual event for the RNLI, a moment each year when we can show thanks for the incredible actions and work of our selfless volunteer lifeboat crews. This year we are fundraising for vital protective crew kit, essential to keep crews safe while they save others.

‘Lifeboat men and women volunteer to launch in all weathers 24/7, going to the aid of those in trouble at sea at a moment’s notice. They face extreme sea conditions so we have a duty to ensure their protective clothing is a match for the elements.

‘I’m delighted to see so many iconic landmarks joining us in going yellow this Mayday. I urge everyone to get involved and do what they can – hold a ‘Go Yellow’ fundraiser, donate online at RNLI.org/mayday, or simply buy a yellow crew member pin badge – it all helps to fund crew kit. You can also show support on social media, joining the conversation using the hashtag #MaydayEveryDay I know our volunteers are grateful for every pound donated.’

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.

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.