How Hereford schoolboy raised over £2,000 for RNLI crew

Finley Mayne, inspired by Captain Tom Moore's 100 challenge, cycled 100 miles around Hereford during the summer, raising £2,200 through sponsorship for the Looe Lifeboat Appeal.

Finley’s uncle lives in Looe, Cornwall, and when visiting he loves to watch the RNLI crews launch on their training evenings.

When in Looe last Easter, Finley found out about the lifeboat appeal. This is when he came up with the idea of a sponsored 100-mile cycle ride to raise funds for the new D Class inshore lifeboat 'Ollie Naismith II'.

During the summer months, Finley cycled up to 13 miles a day around Hereford, often accompanied by his dad Jonathan and grandad Peter.

Finley and his family visited RNLI Looe Lifeboat Station to meet the crew and present a cheque for the £2,200 he raised.

Finley raised the money by cycling around Hereford. Picture: RNLI / Ian Foster

£1,200 was raised through sponsorships, which was matched with £1,000 from his father’s firm Biomech Engineering Services Limited.

After being shown the inshore lifeboats and launch tractors, and asking questions to the crew about the lifeboats, the family watched both lifeboats launch for a training exercise.

His donation took the lifeboat appeal over £50,000, 64 per cent of their target figure of £78,000.

A spokesperson said: "Everyone at the station who met Finley and Honey said it never ceases to amaze them what our young supporters and future crew can achieve.

"Everyone at Looe Lifeboat Station is so grateful to Finley for this wonderful donation".