RNLI Mayday Mile challenge on Skye raises over £2500

The annual mile-a-day fundraiser, which takes place throughout the month of May, encourages people to raise money for the RNLI through any means possible to complete the mile – be it walking, running, swimming, cycling, or even paddleboarding!

2-year-old Georgie Wells, who lives in Portree, raised £908 by completing the miles on two feet and also on two wheels, thanks to her newly found skills on her balance bike. She was joined by brother Angus, dad Brian (who is a volunteer at Portree RNLI), and other family members and friends during the challenge.

Georgie’s mum, Annalïse Daughtrey, said:

‘We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported Georgie and cheered her along with her Mayday Mile challenge. She's absolutely loved doing it, and towards the end of the month, she was asking if it was time to “do my mile, Mum”. The challenge had no sooner finished, when she was ready and raring to go again, this time for the fundraising Welly Walk on Saturday 6 June in Portree!’

Melanie Moss and William Hannah, who are part of the A.C.E Target Sports team just outside of Portree, also took on the RNLI Mayday Mile challenge, using a wide variety of different means.

Speaking about the challenge, Melanie said:

‘Team A.C.E. covered over 150 miles for the Mayday Mile Challenge by walking, running, cycling, kayaking and swimming our miles. William and I raised £744 for a fantastic cause, and we would like to thank everyone for their very generous sponsorship. Come sun, rain or midges, we were both out there getting the miles in, thinking of all the awful weather our lifeboat volunteers go out in.’

Brothers Leo and Reece MacVicar, along with mum, Christina, raised a total of £858 during their own Mayday Mile challenge, which included miles both at home and away. They also used sporting events such as football and shinty matches to help smash their miles and fundraising total. During the challenge, the brothers even managed to include a trip to Firhill Stadium in Glasgow – home of Partick Thistle F.C - where they were mascots for the final league game of the season.

David Beaton, from the Portree RNLI fundraising committee, said:

‘We’d like to thank everyone who took part in the 2026 RNLI Mayday Mile fundraising challenge. It’s been great to see so many young people and adults all coming together to raise money for our lifesaving charity.

‘It typically costs approx. £4000 to equip volunteer crew members at the RNLI. There is essential PPE such as All-weather clothing and boots, a lifejacket and helmet, which all costs around £2,500. There is also the cost for training, which is an average of £1,360 per person.

‘Every donation made by members of the public goes towards the work of the RNLI across the UK and Ireland. We are extremely grateful for your support.’

Portree RNLI has just taken delivery of a brand new £2.78M Shannon class lifeboat – Peter and Mary (13-59) – which officially took over as the permanent Portree lifeboat on Monday 1 June 2026.

The state-of-the-art vessel, which is powered by water jets rather than conventional propellors, arrived at Portree on Saturday 18 April to a large crowd of welcoming spectators.

The RNLI is the charity that has been saving lives at sea for over two hundred years. In 2024, it cost the charity £190.3M to operate the lifesaving service it does, along with investing in infrastructure and future services. Around 90% of all money raised comes from donations and the remaining 10% comes from income sources including trading and investments.

There are over 5,700 volunteer RNLI lifeboat crew members at 238 lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland, with a further 4,000 volunteer shore crew members. Our volunteers are on call and ready to respond to calls for help 24 hrs a day, 365 days of the year.

ENDS

Notes to editors

· All photos and videos in this press release should be credited to RNLI/Robert MacInnes.

· Further details about the RNLI Mayday fundraising campaign can be found here: https://fundraise.rnli.org/event/mayday-mile/home

· To read more about the cost breakdown in the RNLI between crew PPE, different vessels and services, and funding details: https://rnli.org/about-us/how-the-rnli-is-run/running-costs

· Portree Lifeboat Station was established in 1991. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/portree-lifeboat-station

RNLI Media Contacts

For further information, please contact:

Robert MacInnes, Lifeboat Press Officer at Portree RNLI: 07950 421829 / [email protected]

Richard Smith, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for Scotland: 07826 900639 / [email protected]

Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for Scotland: 07920 365929 / [email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI is the charity that 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 146,700 lives.

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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.