Six-year-old Grey aiming to raise £1,000 for the RNLI
A six-year-old from Essex is aiming to raise £1,000 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) after raising over £260 for the charity last year.
Grey Clarke from South Woodham Ferrers placed jars in his school collecting 5p coins from teachers and pupils last year, and he’s hoping to raise even more with his newest fundraising campaign.
Inspired by a memorable visit to Southend-On-Sea RNLI Lifeboat Station in April last year, Grey is set to continue his fundraising efforts this year with an ambitious goal in mind.
His mum, Abbey, said: ‘We’re really proud. It’s not often you meet a child, or even your own children who are that passionate and really want to help other people.
‘We frequently visit the lifeboat station in Southend, and we always see the lifeboats. Grey loves swimming and he loves water.
‘We’re just really proud and we’re trying to help him along the way.’
Grey will raise money for the charity by placing jars to collect coins in school, while a JustGiving page has also been created where donations can be made.
He said: ‘I really got interested in helping other people. The volunteers love the RNLI and I love it too. £1,000 is our goal this year.
‘I have made posters and did an assembly at school about the little pot in the office and how to donate online.
‘What I like the most about the RNLI is the hovercraft. I loved the hovercraft the most when I had a tour of the lifeboat station and I’ve got the posters in my bedroom.’
His efforts haven’t gone unnoticed by RNLI volunteers at Southend, and Lifeboat Press Officer Nigel Gilchrist believes that the money Grey raises will go a long way to helping save lives at sea.
He said: ‘Speaking from my point of view Grey is an inspirational young lad. It's so nice to see this level of enthusiasm and dedication in such young people with total support from his family, it was an absolute pleasure to meet them. These youngsters are our future.
‘Grey's incredible and successful fundraising will help the RNLI continue to save lives at sea, as a charity we are forever grateful. The volunteers at Southend RNLI were fabulous with Grey, inviting him to help with the launching of the lifeboats on exercise, the joy seen in Grey was spectacular and unforgettable.
‘Grey has a wish to become lifeboat crew. I would be extremely proud to be writing about lives Grey has saved.’
Meanwhile, senior helm Daniel Wanna said: ‘At Southend – and the wider RNLI – we are extremely grateful for any funds that are raised. As a charity that relies solely on fundraising this a vital step which allows us to continue to put boats in the water and save lives at sea.
‘It was an honour to meet Grey back in 2024, hearing about all his fundraising endeavours. For such a young person to be so keen and enthusiastic about the RNLI is brilliant, so naturally we want to do as much as possible to support him.
‘With so many important charities out there today, it’s great to see the younger generation still looking at the RNLI as a vital charity and supporting our aims.’
Grey’s JustGiving fundraising page can be found here - https://www.justgiving.com/page/g-clarke-6-25 utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL
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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.
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