RNLI lifeguards are inviting people to join them on a tower run to raise money for a state-of-the-art lifeboat station near Waterloo Bridge, writes Herbie Russell…
The gruelling 56 floor, 1,120 step ascent will be at the skyscraper on 22 Bishopsgate, the City, Saturday February 19.
Kevin Maynard, Tower station manager, said: “Our crews are always racing to save lives on the Thames.
“It would give us a tremendous boost to know supporters are also stepping up to this extraordinary challenge to help us continue.”
The skyscraper stands on the site of the London Tavern, where the RNLI was founded on March 4 1824.
That day, 30 men pledged “constant readiness to risk their own lives for the preservation of those they have never known or seen.”
Among the signatories were the Archbishop of Canterbury, as well as aristocrats, clerics, politicians and philanthropists.
Kevin Maynard added: “It seems really fitting that this event is taking place where the RNLI first started.”
Since opening on the Thames in 2002, the station’s lifeboats have launched over 9,000 times and saved more than 350 lives.
But as the station approaches its 20th birthday, it has fallen beyond repair meaning a new station is desperately needed.
Of the RNLI’s 238 stations, the Tower Lifeboat Station is the busiest, with a crew readied around the clock.
Those who step up will be treated to stunning views across London during their run, as well as a special celebratory reception to thank them for their efforts.
The RNLI receives 92 per cent of its income from donations and, as a charity independent of the government, receives no public funding.
You can sign up for the event here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-rnli-tower-run-tickets-166820230801?aff=PR