Two of Exmouth RNLI volunteer crew members will be taking part in the Exmouth RNLI MayDay Mile '72 for 72' event – a 72 kilometre charity relay on Saturday 15 May 2021.

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.

Exmouth 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 of our very own volunteer lifesavers, crew members Dougie Wright and Geoff Mills, have got together and will be hitting the tarmac along Exmouth Seafront on Saturday 15 May 2021 to raise those urgent and much needed funds for Exmouth RNLI.

But they won't just be running a mile. No, just between themselves our two intrepid volunteers will be endeavouring to complete a relay of no less than 72 kilometres, representing one kilometre for every lifesaving emergency Exmouth RNLI Lifeboats were tasked to attend in 2020!

Not only that, but just for good measure they will be running some of the relay in RNLI Crew kit.

Geoff said: "Dougie and I had just finished an evening training exercise and were discussing how busy we thought it would be this summer.

"Given the challenges faced with RNLI fundraising in the last year I asked Dougie if he fancied doing something a little different to raise some much needed money for the Exmouth Lifeboat station and a few coffees later we landed on the 72 for 72 idea!"

Can you support them in their gigantic quest? Will you sponsor our two volunteer RNLI crew as they set about trying to raise as much funding as possible for our lifesaving charity?

If you'd like to help, please sponsor them by completing an all important donation on this page, and if you are able to 'Gift Aid' your contribution, so much the better.