Do your bit, fund our kit – help save lives at sea by taking part in our Quiz!

RNLI volunteer lifeboat crews across the south east launched 2,740 times in 2018, rescuing 2,309 people. Volunteer crew from Swanage Lifeboat Station launched 80 times, rescuing 69 people in trouble in the water – rescues which are only possible because of the donations made to the charity by supporters.

Organised by the Swanage Lifeboat Fundraisers, the Mayday fundraiser give your the opportunity to test your knowledge at our fun quiz from 7pm, on Friday 17th May at the Swanage Conservative Club.

Money raised through Mayday fundraising events like this one will help RNLI lifeboat crews to face the harshest conditions at sea with the best kit possible. It currently costs £2,161 to provide one all-weather lifeboat crew member with all the kit they need when responding to the call for help.

Dave Turnbull, Swanage Lifeboat Coxswain says: ‘When the charity’s annual rescue figures are published, it’s always a sobering reminder of what we do year in year out.

The RNLI provides us with the best kit possible to protect us against the extreme conditions we can face. Kit which gives us a firm footing on unsteady surfaces and shields us from injury, allowing us to carry out lifesaving work.’

The Mayday national fundraising event is the RNLI’s own call for help, as the charity relies on the generosity of the public to fund the vital kit that helps keep the crews safe when they risk their lives for others.

The RNLI’s Mayday national fundraiser begins on Wednesday 1 May and will run for the whole month, at hundreds of locations across the UK and Ireland. This year, the RNLI hopes to raise a total of £700,000 through Mayday, which will be used to fund essential kit for the charity’s selfless volunteer lifeboat crews.

And if you’re not able to attend a fundraising event, 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 or cooking up some yellow-themed bakes to sell.

Buying a yellow welly pin badge at events or from local RNLI shops also helps raise funds towards the Mayday target; and people are being encouraged to show support on social media, joining the conversation using the hashtag #MaydayEveryDay.

The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its 4,900 volunteer lifeboat crew members provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts.

Notes to editors

RNLI media contacts

For more information, please contact Becky Mack, on [email protected]

Alternatively, call the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789 or email [email protected].

RNLI online

For more information on the RNLI please visit rnli.org.uk. News releases and other media resources, including RSS feeds, downloadable photos and video, are available at the RNLI Press Centre rnli.org.uk/press.

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and has more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK. 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 142,700 lives.

ROYAL NATIONAL LIFEBOAT INSTITUTION charity registered in England and Wales (209603), Scotland (SC037736), the Republic of Ireland (20003326) and Bailiwick of Jersey (14) of West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ (“the RNLI”)

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.