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Frances Vigay

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My Activity Tracking

69
mi

My target 31 mi

How your support helped the RNLI in 2024

437 Lives saved

25,327 People aided by lifeboat crews and lifeguards

9,141 Lifeboat launches

I’m taking on the Mayday Mile Challenge to support RNLI volunteers

{Update: I'm walking 100 miles in May. Over both the early May and the late May bank holidays, I'll be walking 33 miles in 3 days, adding 66 miles to my total. I'll continue walking each of the other days of the month for additional miles.}

I'm aiming to walk this 31 mile challenge in 3 days over the Bank Holiday weekend (2nd-4th May) and then continue to add additional miles to that over the rest of the month.

I'm particularly motivated to support the work of the RNLI as they are one group of people who are actively countering the narratives of hate against migrants and refugees, by their unapologetic humanitarian mandate to save all lives at sea, regardless of politics or immigration status of individuals. 

A BBC article quoted an RNLI volunteer: Paula Lain, who works as a management consultant when she's not volunteering for the RNLI: "When our pager goes, we're not thinking anything political.

"We're all thinking about people. We're actively compassionate. That's what drives us beyond any moral or civic responsibility.

"When we're tasked, we don't know what we're going to be tasked to. We're there to help people in their most distressing times."

As temperatures rise during the summer season, attracting tourists and locals into our seas, calls to the Coastguards increase, and the RNLI are at their most busy, ready to take those calls to go out and save lives. 

My brother drowned in the very cold February sea and it has always saddened me that no one saw him, to call the Coastguard so that he could have potentially been given the possibility of rescue. But it is some comfort that the RNLI exist and have saved so many other lives, whether attempted suicides, migrant crossings, or just anyone who has got caught by the tide, hit by bad weather, and got into a life-threatening situation. It's my opinion that they should be properly State funded as an emergency service, but as they rely entirely on donations and volunteers, I want to give them any support I can. 

Migrant small boat crossings make about 1-3% of those the RNLI go out to rescue. In 2025 their boats launched over 9000 times, they helped 8,290 people and saved 272 lives overall.

Their 2024 figures show they saved the lives of 58 migrants including children.

If the Coastguard informs them that people are in trouble, they launch a rescue to save them, whoever they are. They see each individual as a human, as a person. The BBC article goes on to quote volunteer Dan Sinclair, saying "what they see in the Channel has a profound impact on them".

"He recalls one recent rescue, telling the BBC: "There was a little girl on that boat.

"When we took that little girl - who was probably four years old - off that boat, she looked at me straight in the eye and she said 'Thank you. I love you.'"

In times of severe dehumanisation of those in need, the RNLI and their commitment to compassionate, indiscriminate rescue, is an inspiration. Small boat rescues and migrant lives are a small percentage of those they save - any of us who find ourselves in the water for any reason, could need them one day to save our own lives or those we love. Thank you for considering donating to my RNLI Mayday Mile Challenge and supporting the courageous crews.

Please help raise funds for the RNLI

Raised

£344 + £49.81 GiftAid

My Goal

£150

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My Achievements

Updated Profile Pic

Self donated

Reached 25% of fundraising target

Reached 50% of fundraising target

Reached 100% of fundraising target

Added a Blog Post

Shared fundraising page

Reached 25% of distance target

Reached 50% of distance target

Reached 100% of distance target

My Updates

4 miles from Havant to Emsworth

Saturday 16th May
Today (16th May) I walked 4 miles around the coast with a placard and dressed as wild water, participating in the national day against sewage pollution. Part of the great 'Paddle Out' day of action for clean seas and rivers.

3 miles Petersfield Lake then Warblington

Monday 11th May
My dad walked a mile with me today around Petersfield Heath Lake, then I walked an additional two miles from Warblington down to the coast path.

2 miles 10th May

Sunday 10th May
I won't add an update for every 1 and 2 mile days, but this evening was abundant with so much ordinary (yet extraordinary) beauty in the 2 miles walked down local lanes and fields. The strong sweet fragrance of hawthorn (best in the evening), the bright blooms escaping from gardens or growing wild, the sunlight through leaves, the tree 'tunnel', the highland cattle, and the horses, with their two foals. So worth getting out for.

6th May - 6 Miles, chatting to wild swimmer Annette

Wednesday 6th May

5th May sunset, Southsea

Tuesday 5th May
I decided on my sunet walk tonight that I'd walk another 33 miles over 3 days on the end of May Spring Bank Holiday weekend, and aim for a total of 100 Mayday miles

10.74 miles, East Meon to Petersfield

Monday 4th May
The day began at 4.30am with the (beautiful!) deafening dawn chorus all around us. It didn't occur to me to get up for the sunrise! I just lay there listening to the birds through the tent for the next couple of hours and noticing all the aching parts of my body! We waited for my son to collect our camping stuff then began the final leg of the journey. 
It was just me and Sarah in the team today and our shoulders were feeling it!
 
Our route passed through a mix of idyllic landscapes, beautiful flowers, cute lambs, barbed wire gates, big hills, ancient sunken lanes, magical woodlands full of wild garlic... 
We saw a peacock on a roof, deer racing through the woods and across the fields, felt hot sun (burnt legs), made our way through overgrown paths full of nettles (legs still buzzing), bramble scratches on legs. 
There were butterflies, skylarks, fragrant clematis. We got lost somehow finding the right way down Butser Hill. We got back on track. We chatted about death, politics, life, ageing, and friendship. We had some utter navigational nightmares! Streams to cross, dubious ropey bridges, footpaths that no longer exist but scrambling along them anyway, torrential rain - getting totally soaked, puddles inside clothes, pouring water out of boots. The elation of getting out the other end, thoughts of getting home 😅 Finally arriving back where we started at Petersfield Railway Station, 3 days and 33 miles later. Joy! All for a good cause! 

11.6 miles Horndean to East Meon

Sunday 3rd May
Today our boots were still wet from yesterday and the backpack felt heavier on the shoulders. I stuffed some kitchen roll inside to line my boots, and my dad lent me some of his thick old socks to go under the straps on my shoulders which really helped. 
During the walk I asked my team walkers today, if they'd ever been in trouble in the water and they told me their stories. My friend Aram was rescued a few years ago by the RNLI after he had gone too far out in the Solent on his paddleboard and had got caught be a strong current. He'd fallen off but couldn't get back on. He was wearing a life jacket but was so far out at sea that he was terrified that he was going to die. Someone must have seen him and called the coastguard as the rescue boat with volunteers came out to bring him out and he feels sure they saved his life. 
Our hike took us through beautiful fields and woodlands, hills and valleys in the South Downs. Such vibrant bright greens, and so many spring flowers. We passed fields of horses and highland cattle and up on the hills fields of lambs suckling from their mothers or skipping and sleeping. I was stung by nettles along a very overgrown path and we had to keep our mouths shut for a long stretch of swarms of flies all around us. We took our boots off and walked half a mile or so with bare feet in the long cool grass which felt so refreshing to achey feet. We were all struck by how peaceful it was, with no sounds of any traffic, just birds songs, especially skylarks. No rain today, but constantly switching from sunny warmth to cold shade so we were regularly stopping to take layers off, and put them back on. Finally we arrived at the campsite and pitched our tents. Getting to bed with the hooting of owls. Tired, and many aches in lots of places, but determined to finish the 3rd leg of the journey tomorrow.

Team for Petersfield to Horndean 2nd May

Saturday 2nd May

Petersfield to Horndean 11.28 miles

Saturday 2nd May
Today we were a team of five, beginning at Petersfield train station. The day began hot as we walked across the town and out into the fields to the south. A little stream that was flowing a couple of weeks ago had dried up, the bluebells were coming to their end, and all the hedgerows were now abundant with white blossoms of the hawthorn. 
The route followed through fields, woodlands, and along the top of valleys which felt almost Mediteranean. Everywhere was so vibrant with the fresh bright green of the new leaves.

Arriving in Buritan we stopped for picnic lunch by the pond and attracted the attention of two hungry ducks. The path climbed steeply uphill through the woods of the old quarry, then down across fields, then entering the QE. Country Park. We followed woodland paths, stopped to hug trees, and stopped for a halfway break. 

Then the weather changed! Suddenly we were walking in heavy rain and getting drenched - I discovered my waterproofs weren't up to the job and all my clothes were wet! As we passed Butser Ancient Farm we could hear the music from the Beltane festival, which accompanied us up hill, down, and up the next 'Windmill Hill'. 

Now the slopes were more gentle across the downs, down a beautiful green track, and across fields until we arrived in Blendworth, then continued on through streets until we reached our destination for the night in Horndean, 11.28 miles behind us. Very relieved to get wet clothes off, feet up, and a bowl of hot soup in my hands. Tired, achey, and looking forward to another 11 miles tomorrow 😅






Day One of the Mayday Mile challenge!

Friday 1st May

Thank you to my Sponsors

£50

Anonymous

£50

Glenn Lyons

£32.23

Anonymous

£31.51

G & G

Well done Frances!

£21.84

Jane & David

Well done to you both, looks like the weather made it a proper challenge!

£21.84

Chrissy And Fam

Way to go dearest Fran! Proud of you.

£21.84

Fred

Good luck Fran - so pleased to see you embracing this challenge.

£15

Sue Stokes

Message and donation received by post through the door. Many thanks xx

£11.55

Cate

Go girl!

£11.33

Steve M,

£11.33

Barbara Gilbert

£11.33

Kasturi Tusler

Good luck. Have a wonderful walk x

£11.33

Sj

£11.33

Polly

Well done Fran I wish I could have joined you.

£11.31

Rachel Lajon

Happy stomping! Thanks for being such a star!

£10

Annette Wincott

Have a good walk and well done for having a go to raise awareness and funds for the RNLI 😎

£10

Richard Downs

Good luck Fran

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Our Team