Help save lives at sea, by filling wellies with your pennies
People across Northern Ireland are being encouraged to eat cake, and fill a wellie to help raise vital funds for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Northern Ireland as part of the charity’s national annual fundraising event, ‘Mayday’.
Organised by RNLI Northern Ireland branch, a series of events will see the staff at local independent coffee house Ground Espresso Bars’ 17 stores, wearing wellies on Saturday 30th April 2016, and encouraging their customers to support the Mayday campaign by helping them ‘fill a wellie with pennies’.
The RNLI’s Mayday campaign which recently launched this week runs through to the May Day bank holiday on Monday 2nd May, and their signature wellie pins will also be available to purchase in Ground Espresso Bars throughout the campaign for just £1.
Nicola Kelly, Community Fundraising Manager in Northern Ireland said: ‘RNLI volunteer lifeboat crews’ around Northern Ireland are willing to drop everything to go and save lives at sea when their pagers beep.
The Mayday campaign is our own call for help, as we rely on the generosity of the public to help us continue our lifesaving service, which we operate day and night, 365 days a year.’
The Mayday fundraising events in Ground Espresso Bars will have a yellow welly theme, in a nod to the essential kit that the RNLI’s lifeboat crew members wear on their feet when they go out to sea to save lives.
Karen Gardiner, Director of Ground Espresso Bars said: ‘All 17 of our Ground Espresso Bars stores are delighted to be coming on board for the Mayday campaign. Our customers are always very supportive of Ground’s charity initiatives and we’re really urging them to plunge into their pockets and purses during the campaign to back the good work of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Northern Ireland.’
The charity is encouraging people to show their support by using the hashtag #MaydayEveryday on social media, buying and wearing a Mayday yellow welly pin badge, hosting or supporting a fundraising event, or donating online.
Visit RNLI.org/Mayday to donate, to order a pin badge or to see what other ways you can support the RNLI’s Mayday campaign. Alternatively, text MAYDAY to 70300 to donate £3*.
Money raised through Mayday fundraising events will support the RNLI’s lifesaving work in Northern Ireland – it could be used to fund crew training, buy new crew kit, or contribute towards the running costs of a lifeboat station.
The RNLI operates 237 lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland. Last year, RNLI lifeboat crews launched 8,228 times, rescuing 7,973 people and saving 348 lives.
