Show us your Miles!

RNLI challenges you to take part In ‘The Mayday Mile’ to help keep summer safe

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is excited to announce that their annual flagship fundraising campaign, Mayday, will be returning once again for 2021 – but this year they need supporters to ‘step into action’ and really ‘go the extra mile’.

For almost 200 years, RNLI lifesavers have answered Mayday calls on coasts across the UK and Ireland, and bravely risked their lives to help rescue others. But this May, as they face their busiest summer season yet, it is the charity who are putting out an urgent Mayday call.

From Saturday 1 May – Monday 31 May, the RNLI are asking supporters to step into their crew’s boots and take part in The Mayday Mile, to help raise essential funds for the charity and ensure that their lifesaving services can continue to keep everyone safe this summer.

Whether you decide to run it, skate it, swim it, ‘welly-wang’ it, or simply pace around your local park with your pet pooch, The Mayday Mile challenges you to cover at least one mile in any way that you like throughout the month of May, whilst raising funds for the RNLI through a dedicated Just Giving page.

Despite restrictions, last year RNLI volunteer crews faced an unprecedented summer. And this year is predicted to be even busier. With lockdown restrictions easing and huge numbers of people expected to ‘staycation’ at the British coast, RNLI lifesavers are bracing themselves for more calls for rescue.

All monies raised through The Mayday Mile will give these RNLI lifesavers the training, equipment, and kit that they need to rescue others and come home safe themselves, as well as allowing the charity to continue delivering summer safety messages for those visiting the coast.

Peter Emmett, RNLI Engagement Lead, says:“Many people will remember reports of packed beaches around the coastline from last summer, when Covid-19 restrictions were lifted, which meant a hugely busy season for us at the RNLI.

As another summer approaches, we’re expecting more families than ever before to book a holiday in the UK and Ireland, meaning that our lifesavers face an even bigger challenge in keeping everyone safe.

Through The Mayday Mile, we’re hoping to raise enough funds to keep our brave lifesavers ready to deal with emergencies – and to come home safe themselves. So please answer our Mayday call and help us to get one step closer to the happy, fun, and safe summer which we all deserve this year!”

HOW YOUR MONEY HELPS

• £25 could provide a pair of sea-going gloves to protect the RNLI’s lifesavers from wind-chill and rope burn.
• £55 could buy a pair of sturdy, protective, non-slip boots to keep volunteers sure-footed at sea.
• £100 could help the RNLI to bring water safety lessons to school children for the summer season ahead.

The Mayday Mile challenge will be running from Saturday 1 May to Monday 31 May. Sign up and log your miles at RNLI.org/SupportMayday today!

You can also share your story and join the conversation on social media by using hashtag #MyMaydayMile.