The RNLI is an amazing organisation that provides a 24/7 service to save lives at sea. It doesn’t matter if it’s 9pm or 2am, a bank holiday or a working day, the RNLI volunteers are ready to jump into their lifeboats to protect the public whenever they are needed.
Allan Gafney, a plasterer from Bathpool near Launceston, is challenging himself to a sponsored walk to raise money for Looe Lifeboat Station this spring. But that alone isn’t his only hurdle…he will be walking on stilts!
Allan is a keen sea angler who often fishes in Looe with boat skippers Murray Collings and Dan Margetts, who is an RNLI volunteer. From time spent with Dan, Allan soon learned about Looe Lifeboat Station’s need to replace their D Class inshore lifeboat, ‘Ollie Naismith’, and came up with the idea to do a sponsored walk on stilts.
The lifeboat was named ‘Ollie Naismith’ in 2010, in honour of a local teenager who sadly passed away the year before, and has gone on to save many lives at sea. But as it reaches the end of its operational life, £78,000 is needed for a replacement lifeboat, which of course will be named ‘Ollie Naismith II’.
Allan is looking to raise £5,000 for the cause and will be walking 16.1 miles around Davidstow Airfield on 4th March - the distance from Allan’s home to Looe Lifeboat Station.
If you would like to support Allan on his journey and donate some money for a fantastic cause, go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bathpool2looe?utm_source=whatsapp&utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=bathpool2looe&utm_campaign=pfp-whatsapp&utm_term=cceabd361f3645a48c031299c46e024c
