Six-year-old cycles from Lytham to Morecambe in summer of RNLI fund-raising

Henry Wilson-Stephenson, six, caught the charity bug after cycling from the Lytham boathouse to St Annes in May on the day that would have been the the RNLI’s annual Leg It for the Lifeboat event.

The event was cancelled due to the bad weather forecast - but Henry was determined the brave the rain and complete his journey, and cycled all the way to Blackpool lifeboat station, where he was welcomed by RNLI volunteers who happened to be returning to shore at the time.

READ: Henry, six, cycles to help RNLI - and is eager to do it again

Since then, he has gone on to cycle in Fleetwood, Knott End, Morecambe and Scarborough - and hopes to raise at least £1,000 in total for the RNLI before going back to school in September.

His mum Victoria said: "He cycled from Blackpool Tower to Fleetwood, where the RNLI greeted him at Fleetwood lifeboat station and he got a medal - and fish and chips. After that we went over on the ferry to Knott End and got a lift to Morecambe, where he met 'Captain Jack Sparrow' and cycled down the Promenade with donation buckets.

"Last week we went to Scarborough, where he cycled up and down the sea front."

The youngster, who lives on Merton Terrace, has already raised £860, and hopes to smash his £1k target in one last cycle from Norbreck Castle to Blackpool RNLI on Saturday.

Victoria said: "Henry has loved every minute of it and can't wait to do it again next year. I'm really proud of him.

"I do a lot of charity work myself, supporting various charities, and my mum was a keen fund-raiser for Diabetes UK, so I'm incredibly proud and pleased that Henry is as interested in fund-raising as my mum was and I am.

"Living in Lytham, it feels fitting to help the RNLI. The RNLI have been so amazingly supportive of Henry and couldn't do enough for us, especially Blackpool RNLI who sent him a thank you teddy bear. They have been so busy this summer, but still they all took the time to send him a thank you card."