Be a lifesaver and support the Achill Island RNLI lifeboat crew Mayday Mile

The charity is calling on the people of Achill, and its diaspora, to support Achill Island RNLI lifeboat crew’s Mayday Mile to help raise vital funds to keep you and your family safe this summer.

Organised by the lifeboat crew of Achill Island RNLI, the Mayday fundraiser will see the volunteers rowing a distance of one mile from their Lifeboat Station in a small flotilla including a currach, some kayaks and other watercraft commonly seen in the pristine waters around Achill Island. The crew will be carrying their pagers with them so they can respond to a call for help, should the need arise.

Funds raised through Mayday fundraising events will make sure that RNLI lifesavers have everything they need to keep families safe on the water and RNLI volunteer lifeboat crews will drop whatever they’re doing when a call for help comes in.

Eilish Power, Achill Island RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer says: ‘Summer is our busiest time of year, with thousands of people visiting the area and enjoying the water. A call for help can come from anywhere, from people enjoying days out with family or friends or the medical evacuations on our surrounding islands that our volunteer crew facilitate.

‘Mayday is our own call for help, as we rely on the generosity of the public to support events like the Achill Island RNLI lifeboat crew’s Mayday Mile, and raise the funds that allow us to be there when we’re needed most. But we need to be ready. Training, kit, stations, fuel … these are just some of the things we need to save lives, and that your fundraising can help provide.’

The RNLI’s Mayday national fundraiser begins on Sunday 1 May and will run for the whole month in Mayo and right across the UK and Ireland. You can show your support for the Achill Island RNLI lifeboat crew’s Mayday Mile by donating what you can at the link below, or visit the station’s Facebook page, @RNLIAchillIslandLifeboat for details.

https://royalnationallifeboatinstitution.enthuse.com/pf/eilish-power/post/1554969

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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.