Cyclist Raises £10K for the RNLI in Epic Coastal Adventure
5000 miles, 200 stations; one man and his friends. On Saturday 20 May, Alan Cheesley completed the final leg of his cycling challenge to visit all RNLI lifeboat stations in Great Britain.
Three years ago, Alan, from Bristol, decided to embark on a challenge to cycle to all 200 RNLI lifeboat stations in Great Britain to raise money for the charity.
His challenge included a series of trips from Cornwall to the Western Isles and Shetland, totalling 5000 miles of coastline.
Along the way, Alan has been accompanied by various friends and family members. As well as fundraising for the RNLI, Alan was inspired to do the challenge to keep his friends active.
Not all the trips have been easy; the cyclists have endured hurricane winds, frost and last-minute ferry scrambles.
Despite its challenges, Alan said: ‘When we were wearing our RNLI t-shirts, we always got smiles and waves from the public. It’s a great conversation starter and we’ve met some amazing people along the way.’
The last leg of his challenge saw Alan come close to home, with the final cycle trip starting in Weston-super-Mare and finishing at Portishead Lifeboat Station. On Saturday afternoon, he rode into the station with 35 other cyclists that joined him for the ride. They were met with cheers as they approached from the marina.
Alan has raised £10,000 for the RNLI. Reflecting on his fundraiser, he concluded: ‘It has truly been amazing to go away with good friends and encourage others to go further than their comfort zone would previously allow them to go, and to show the RNLI’s wonderful volunteers that we really care about you - you are not taken for granted, and we appreciate the sacrifices and huge effort you all put into helping others.’.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.