Barbara, 80, cycling 870 miles for the RNLI
A grandmother who has sailed the Atlantic three times with her husband has set out on a virtual cycle ride from Land's End to John O' Groats. to raise donations for the RNLI.
Her target to virtually reach John O'Groats is some 870 miles.
Mrs Townsend, who has seven grandchildren, has raised £950 so far on her JustGiving page. She started her ride on August 4th.
She and husband David,84, were keen sailors and crossed the Atlantic three times in their 42foot ocean-going sailing boat.
She said;
'The RNLI does a fantastic job, and when we used to pop over to France it was always so comforting to know the volunteers of the RNLI were there if we needed them. Fortunately, we never had to call them out.'
Mrs Townsend's donation page can be found at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/barbara-townsend
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.