The RNLI is calling on people across the south west to support their volunteer lifeboat crews as Mayday, the charity’s national annual fundraising campaign, is launched.

As part of the fundraising events RNLI crews and volunteers are preparing to hold a Station to Station Yellow Welly Relay.

Starting in Portishead, an RNLI yellow welly will be transported around the entire south west coast in many different ways before finishing at Harwich on the south east coast.

It began on Monday, May 1st, the May Day bank holiday, and will run for the whole month of May.

The yellow welly arrives at Dartmouth Station in Coronation Park at 6pm on Monday, May 8th.

To keep up to date on the relay visit: www.facebook.com/RNLIMaydayWellyRelay

The RNLI’s Mayday campaign is calling on people to “do their bit, fund our kit” with the lifesaving charity hoping to raise £750,000 to fund the crucial kit volunteer crews rely on, like lifejackets, helmets and the RNLI’s iconic yellow wellies.

Local crews are making their own arrangements for how the welly will be transported to their neighbouring crew and are already coming up with creative ideas to make their local handover stand out.

The welly will be transported through Clovelly village on a sledge on Thursday 4 May and then from Port Isaac to Newquay by RIB the following day. On the south coast, crews at Dart, Torbay and Teignmouth plan to row the welly between stations in a gig.

Michael England, Padstow RNLI mechanic and Deputy Second Coxswain, said:”‘RNLI volunteer crew members are willing to drop everything to go and save lives at sea when their pagers beep. Our lifeboat crew kit is absolutely vital when we’re out in all weathers saving lives at sea.

“Last year, RNLI crews launched 8,851 times and saved 431 lives. The Mayday campaign is our own call for help and we’re asking people to do their bit to fund our kit throughout May.

“There are all sorts of ways to raise money for Mayday. From wearing wellies to work or doing a sponsored welly walk, to holding a bake sale or doing a sponsored cycle ride. “Anyone can register for a free fundraising pack by visiting www.RNLI.org/Mayday.

“With 4,800 volunteer lifeboat crew members providing a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts, money raised through “Mayday will help kit out RNLI crews so they’re ready to face the harshest conditions at sea. It costs £1,593 to provide an all-weathe lifeboat crew member with all of the vital kit they need during a rescue.

“Anyone who wants to get involved should visit www.RNLI.org/Mayday to register for a free Mayday pack. The webpage also contains some great fundraising ideas and provides a list of Mayday fundraising events taking place, many of which have a yellow welly theme.”