Two young cousins are aiming to complete a full mile along Exmouth seafront to raise funds for the lifesaving charity in the RNLI MayDay Mile challenge.

A mayday call is the most urgent plea RNLI lifesavers receive, and is used when life is in immediate danger. Usually our lifesavers answer calls for help. But today, with a busy summer on the horizon, it's they who need YOUR help.

The RNLI are expecting more families than ever to book holidays in the UK and Ireland this year. People are excited to get away – and that's how it should be. But it's so easy to get into trouble by the water. For walkers to get cut off by the tide. For a paddling child to be swept out to sea. A pet dog to tumble down a cliff.

The RNLI are raising funds to keep our local lifesavers fully equipped to deal with these emergencies – and come home safe themselves. With a year of Coronavirus restrictions disabling our fundraising events, it's never been more important for our charity to continue its quest to save lives at sea.

That's why two youngsters, Ivie Simkiss-Cowtan, aged 3 years, from Exeter and Isla Cowtan, 5 years old from Worcester, are aiming to complete a full mile along Exmouth seafront as part of the annual RNLI Mayday challenge. They will be escorted by their families and aiming to raise important and much needed funds for the RNLI, the charity that saves lives at sea. That's a very long way for little ones !

The keen young athletes expect to set off on their challenge at 2pm Sunday 30 May 2021, starting and finishing at Exmouth Lifeboat Station, where donations can be taken on the day, so please come down, cheer them along and help them achieve their target.

Ricky Cowtan, father of Ivie, said: "I saw the RNLI Mayday mile promoted locally on social media. I've worked closely with the charity as an independent lifeguard in Newquay, I'm familiar with their lifeboats and I'm all too aware of the importance of the work they do.

"The lifesaving charity has always been one close to my families heart and the girls always love seeing the lifeboats at Exmouth when we're on the seafront. So I thought it would be an excellent way to raise funds and a nice thing for the girls to do."

The two girls have already raised over £700, but you can help Ivie and Isla raise even more by sponsoring them. Simply complete an all important donation on their official RNLI fundraising page below, and if you are able to 'Gift Aid' your contribution, so much the better.

Click here to go to the fundraising page.