Do your bit, fund our kit – help save lives at sea this Mayday!
As the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) announces its 2018 annual rescue figures, the charity is calling on the golfers of Hartlepool and East Durham to do their bit and join the RNLI’s Mayday golf event at Seaton Carew Golf Course to help raise vital funds for crew kit.
RNLI volunteer lifeboat crews across the UK and Ireland launched 8,964 times in 2018, rescuing 9,412 people – an increase of 17% on 2017. Volunteer crew from Hartlepool launched 50 times, rescuing 62 people in trouble in the water and saved one life – rescues which are only possible because of the donations made to the charity by supporters.
Organised by Hartlepool RNLI the Mayday fundraiser will see teams of three take part in the event at the ‘challenging’ Seaton Carew course.
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.
Event organiser Hartlepool RNLI treasurer Malcolm Wallis said ‘When the charity’s annual rescue figures are published, it’s always a sobering reminder of what our RNLI volunteer lifeboat crews do year in year out – they literally drop whatever they are doing and race to save lives at sea when they get the call.
‘The least they can expect is the best kit possible to protect them against the extreme conditions they face. Kit which gives them a firm footing on unsteady surfaces and shields them from injury, allowing them to carry out their lifesaving work. The Mayday national fundraising event is our own call for help, as we rely on the generosity of the public to fund the vital kit that helps keep the crews safe when they risk their lives for others. For more details or to register please call Seaton Carew Golf Club on 01429 891062 or email: [email protected]
The RNLI’s Mayday national fundraiser began 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, cooking up some yellow-themed bakes to sell or even getting together to lift the weight of a 32 tonne Tamar class lifeboat!
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
For more information, please contact Tom Collins Hartlepool RNLI press officer on 01429 266103. 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.