Have Mayday 'fun' in Sheffield and help vital funds for the RNLI

The event is being held to help raise vital funds for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) as part of the charity’s national annual fundraising event, Mayday.

Organised by the RNLI Community Fundraising team, the Fun Day will provide an exciting opportunity for children to explore the ‘retired’ RNLI lifeboat (which is on long term loan to the museum). There will be a host of other fun activities taking place including competitions, treasure hunts and raffles.

The RNLI’s Mayday event began on Tuesday 1 May and will run for the whole month, with fundraising taking place 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 brave volunteer lifeboat crews.

Sarah Whattam, RNLI Community Fundraising Manager said: ‘The Mayday Family Fun Day at the Emergency Services Museum promises to be a great event for the whole family. There’ll be the chance to go on board the retired lifeboat and also take part in other exciting activities. It will also help to raise funds for vital kit for our charity’s lifeboat crews.

‘RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew are willing to drop everything to go and save lives at sea when they get the call. Their specialist kit protects them against extreme conditions, gives them a firm footing on unsteady surfaces, and shields them from injury, allowing them to carry out their lifesaving work.

‘The Mayday campaign is our own call for help, as we rely on the generosity of the public to fund this vital kit that helps keep the crews safe when they risk their lives for others.’

For more information about Mayday, please visit: RNLI.org/mayday

Notes to editors

*The RNLI Fun Day will be taking place at the National Emergency Services Museum, Old Police/Fire Station, West Bar, Sheffield S3 8PT. Normal museum entrance fees will apply.

*This year, the RNLI is going yellow for Mayday – just like volunteer crews do every day to save lives at sea.

Money raised through Mayday fundraising events 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.

The charity is also encouraging people to show support on their social media, joining the conversation using the hashtag #MaydayEveryDay, or by donating online or buying a yellow crew member pin badge.

Anyone who wishes to get involved can visit RNLI.org/mayday to register for a free Mayday fundraising pack. The pack provides a host of fundraising ideas, such as encouraging friends and colleagues to plan a wear-yellow fundraiser, getting sponsored to run, walk or cycle, cooking up some yellow-themed bakes to sell or even getting together to lift the weight of a 42 tonne Severn class lifeboat!

RNLI media contacts

For more information, please contact Clare Hopps, RNLI Regional Media Officer on: 07824 518641 or email: [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.