Fundraiser to visit all UK lifeboat stations

By Eric Mackinnon
Published 5th Dec 2022, 16:14 BST
Updated 5th Dec 2022, 16:14 BST
Chris Mason is visiting all the stations in the UK.Chris Mason is visiting all the stations in the UK.
Chris Mason is visiting all the stations in the UK.
Car mechanic and keen photographer, Chris Mason, is continuing his remarkable attempt to visit every single RNLI and independent lifeboat stations around the entire UK and Ireland to raise much needed money for the RNLI.

And as well as spending all his evenings, weekends and holiday allocation from work in completing his huge challenge, Mason is planning to tick off the Hebridean lifeboat stations off his lengthy list.

“My plan at the moment is to head over to Barra in May from Oban before then making my way up through the islands, stop at Leverburgh then drive up to Stornoway RNLI station and finish the Western Isles,” he told the Gazette.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I am waiting on the CalMac timetable for next summer being finalised before making my plans and it would be great if they could help support this fundraising trip with some assistance or tickets if that was possible and I think the Western Isles section will be the hardest.”

His epic lifeboat station road trip began last year and already Mason has visited a huge number all around the country.

“I just wanted to do something to help raise money to save lives at sea,” explained Mason.

"I feel that every lifeboat station I’ve seen has the same mentality as me and that’s where they just want to help people and do whatever it takes.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The idea started without much planning and it has grown and grown. I’m a keen photographer and last October I took a fortnight off to do the West Coast 500 and take pictures while I was there but the weather was poor. I did see the lifeboat station at Kyle of Lochalsh and that was the first one I visited and from there I started my journey.

“Everyone at the stations I’ve visited are great and like families within the stations.”

Along the way to save costs he has been sleeping in his car at nights despite having a tent in his boot as it is easier late at night as he makes his way around the entire coast of the UK.

“Around the UK there are 238 RNLI lifeboat stations and 60 to 70 independent ones that I know about which is a lot more than people think,” he laughed, “so its taking me quite a while to get round them all.”

To donate visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/chris-mason45