Words: Anna Burn. Photos: English Martyrs School/Steve Hope, RNLI/(Tom Collins, Dave Kneen, Nigel Millard), Rossall School, Chris Smith, Sophie Whitehouse

Welcome to your community news for the north of England and the Isle of Man. For all the latest from where you are, head to RNLI.org/news

Port St Mary/Blackpool

SPORTING HEROES

Sporting challenges from hiking to biking, sailing to SUPing, or running to rambling, are popular with RNLI crew members and supporters and a great way to raise funds to help save lives at sea. In October, Port St Mary Crew Member Andy Green travelled to South Africa to take part in the 100-mile African Centurion race on Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was held prisoner for 27 years. Bad weather meant the venue was changed to a 400m track but that didn’t faze Andy, who completed the 402 laps to win the event! In January, Blackpool Crew Member
Darren Clemson with friends Ben Trotter, Chris Smith and Adam Tyres reached the summit of Kilimanjaro – the highest peak in Africa at 5,895m. The trio’s trek raised over £4,800 for the RNLI.

Hartlepool/Honley and Brockholes/Lytham

Too cool for school

Students from across the north have been making quite a splash over the last few months. Pupils at the English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College raised nearly £1,850 for Hartlepool RNLI by holding a variety of fundraising events including cake stalls and non-uniform days. Lifeboat Operations Manager Chris Hornsey says: ‘We have had another very busy year and vital donations such as this mean we can provide our lifesaving service.’ When students at St Anne’s RC Primary School in Oldham learned about Grace Darling, they were so impressed by her bravery that they decided to raise funds by embarking on a sponsored walk dressed as pirates! The swashbuckling students raised an arrrr-worthy £235 for Honley and Brockholes Branch. And in Lytham, year 10 student Chloe from Rossall School won the overall prize in her age category for her excellent charcoal lifeboat drawing in the RNLI Pushing the Boat Out exhibition at Fylde Gallery.

Blackpool

AMAZING HAIR RAISING

Last year, Julie and Sophie Whitehouse from Blackpool took the bold decision to shave their heads in support of Blackpool RNLI, raising an amazing £1,320 in the process. Sophie then donated her plait to the Little Princess Trust, a charity that provides real hair wigs free of charge to children and young people with cancer and other illnesses. The Blackpool team say: ‘Thank you to everyone who took part and contributed, and a special thank you to Julie and Sophie.’

Newcastle

First Class

A generous donation of over 20 stamp albums from an anonymous RNLI supporter to Hartlepool Lifeboat Station went to auction in Newcastle last November. The albums, containing a huge variety of stamps from around the world, were of great interest to the 200 philatelists attending the event. And, by the time the gavel came down, £1,000 in lifesaving funds had been raised. Chris Hornsey, Lifeboat Operations Manager, says the extremely generous donation will help provide ‘first-class’ kit for crew members

PLEASE SEND US YOUR NEWS AND EVENTS
Want to share your RNLI news and events with Lifeboat readers? By the time this issue lands on your doorstep, we’ll be nearing our deadline for the autumn issue, so please email [email protected] with anything you’d like considered.

WHAT’S ON

Mayday events will be happening throughout the north in May. Contact your local fundraising branch or visit RNLI.org/mayday to get involved.

BUXTON DUCK RACE
10am–4pm, Monday 6 May
Buxton Spring Fair, Pavilion Gardens
Come along and pit your rubber duck against the others in an intense race to the finish line. Sponsor a duck for £1 from the RNLI stand.
BLACKPOOL MAYDAY EVENT
Monday 6 May
Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Come along to meet the crew from Blackpool Lifeboat Station and join in with the games and activities.
MAYDAY WELLY WALK
10am–1pm, Sunday 19 May
Harewood Village Hall
A fun 4½-mile walk around the picturesque Harewood Estate. Small goody bag at the end! Dogs more than welcome. Phone Anna on 07787 846432 or email [email protected].
LEG IT FOR LYTHAM
Sunday 2 June, 10.45am
Lytham Lifeboat Station Boathouse,
Central Beach
Join the annual 3½-mile fun run in aid of saving lives at sea. Run, stroll, walk your dog or push
your pram between the Lytham and St Annes lifeboat station boathouses. To register or find out more, visit lythamlifeboats.co.uk.
3 SHIRES CYCLE
Sunday 2 June, 8am–4pm
Sandbach Rugby Club
Join this non-competitive fundraising cycling event. There’s something for all levels of cyclist: choose from 140K, 100K and 35K routes or a 5K family route. Visit RNLI.org/3shires.