Your kindness can save lives this summer - join Hoylake RNLI’s Mayday Car Wash
Hoylake RNLI lifeboat station needs your help to drive up funds by coming to its Mayday Car Wash on Sunday 17 May, raising money to save lives at sea during the busy summer season.
Every day, RNLI crews across the UK, Ireland and the Channel Islands respond to mayday calls - the most urgent calls for help on our coasts. But this May, they need your help.
Hoylake RNLI’s volunteer lifesavers are gearing up to scrub, rinse and polish cars for a suggested donation of £10 per vehicle. From 10am to 12.30pm on 17 May, the crew will be donning their iconic yellow wellies and aiming to exceed the record-breaking total of over £1,700 donated by the community at last year's event.
Money raised through Mayday events like this ensures that RNLI volunteer crews have the essential training, equipment and kit they need to respond 24/7 when someone is in danger.
The Mayday campaign comes as the RNLI releases rescue data from 2025, which shows lifeboats across Merseyside launched 107 times last year, up from 89 launches in 2024. At Hoylake RNLI lifeboat station, the volunteer crew assisted 11 people and saved one person from drowning as they launched to the rescue 31 times.
In total, RNLI lifeboat crews helped 8,290 people and saved 272 lives as the charity's lifeboats launched more than 9,000 times in 2025, making it the sixth-busiest year in the charity's history.
Howie Owen, Hoylake RNLI Coxswain, said:
'Summer is our busiest time of year, when thousands of people head out to enjoy the coast. Unfortunately, some can find themselves unexpectedly in difficulty and needing the RNLI's help.’
'Mayday is our own call for help. We rely on the public's generosity to support events like our Mayday Car Wash, which are so important for funding our crew’s lifesaving work. Your support will genuinely make a difference and keep people safe this summer.’
Anyone who is unable to attend can still get involved by taking part in the Mayday Mile fundraiser. Complete a mile (or more) every day for the month of May however and wherever you like: walk, run, hop or skip your way to supporting our lifesavers.
Sign up or find out more at rnli.org/ SupportMayday
RNLI Media Contacts
For more information, please contact:
Dan Whiteley, Hoylake RNLI Lifeboat Press Officer on 07799 851 316 or email [email protected]
Claire Fitzpatrick-Smith, RNLI Regional Communications Manager on 07977 728 315 or email [email protected]
RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789
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.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, 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.