RNLI in the North West puts out its own Mayday call

Across the UK and Ireland the charity’s lifeboats were launched over 9,100 times in 2024, making it the fourth-busiest year in the charity’s 201-year history.

Although the number of launches, people aided and lives saved by North West RNLI lifeboats were down this year in comparison with 2023, the demand for its lifesaving services remain high. The charity is putting out its own ‘Mayday’ call, and urging the public to get involved with its biggest national fundraising event, the Mayday Mile.

Participants are challenged to cover a mile a day for the month of May, with every penny raised helping to make sure that the charity’s lifesavers have everything they need to keep people safe this summer and beyond. Running a 24/7 lifesaving service is expensive and costs are rising - in 2023, it cost over £190M to run the RNLI.

RNLI volunteers across the North West of England are set to take on their own challenges to raise money for the lifesaving charity.

St Bees Lifeboat Station in Cumbria are hosting a collective Mayday Mile Challenge on Monday 5 May. Volunteer Crew Member Joe Raymond says:

‘The idea behind our event is to get as many people as possible to walk, run, jog or push a pram along a course starting at the lifeboat station and looping along the promenade.

‘The aim will be to collectively travel 505 miles, resembling ‘SOS’ and raising as much money as possible so we can continue saving lives at sea.’.

Hoylake RNLI are raising funds by holding a car wash. Volunteers from the lifeboat station will be offering their cleaning services on Sunday 11 May.

Lytham St Annes RNLI are holding a ‘Walk to the Wall’ event on 25 May. This event encourages the community to come together for a walk, whilst raising funds for the lifesaving charity.

Kerry-Beth Quinn, a fellow volunteer Crew Member with St Bees RNLI says: ‘Usually it’s our crew heading out to respond to Mayday calls, but now we’re the ones asking for help. Thousands of people get into danger on and around the water each year and need our help, but everything we do is only possible thanks to the generosity of our supporters.’

Whether you choose to walk, jog, hop or skip, a mile every day in May will help raise vital funds for RNLI lifesavers, so that they can continue to keep people safe at sea.

Kerry-Beth added: ‘It’s clear from these new figures that demand for our services remains high, with our lifesavers dropping everything to run to the lifeboat station when the call comes. We’re now heading towards our busiest time of year, so we’re putting out our call for help to raise the funds which will help keep our lifesaving service going today, and allow us to be there when we’re needed most.’

To sign up for the Mayday Mile, or to make a donation in support of the RNLI’s lifesavers, visit RNLI.org/supportMayday

Notes to editors

• A collection of images are available to download here: https://source.rnli.org.uk/share/892A3FEB-0FC5-41E6-8881D647F8ED541F/

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For more information please contact Anya Walton Communications Placement at [email protected] or call 07977468268, contact Claire Fitzpatrick-Smith at [email protected] or call 07977728315. Alternatively, contact the RNLI Press Office at PressOffice’rnli.org.uk or call 01202 336789.

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.

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