An Exmouth town councillor who tackled a ‘demanding’ walk through the night in support of the RNLI finished her successful 72-mile charity challenge at the town’s lifeboat station.
A charity walker tackled a 72-mile walk in just 24 hours in a fundraising effort for lifesaving charity, the RNLI, writes local democracy reporter Bradley Gerrard.
Louise Venables, a member of Exmouth Town Council, clocked up the miles by following the Exe Estuary and the River Teign and finishing at Exmouth lifeboat station.
Louise Venables walked through the night to complete her charity challenge.Photo: Louise Venables.
Louise Venables was applauded home, arriving at Exmouth lifeboat station, after she walked 72 miles to raise funds for the RNLI. Photo: Louise Venables.
Cllr Venables said she took on the challenge to raise funds for the RNLI because of her appreciation for their selfless work that keeps people safe at sea.
“Living in Exmouth, I see first-hand how important the RNLI is to our community and to coastal towns across the UK,” she said.
“As a town councillor, I’m also very aware of the role the RNLI plays locally.
“This challenge was also personal for me, as my partner works for the RNLI, which has given me a real appreciation for both the frontline and behind-the-scenes work involved.”
Cllr Venables was accompanied by friends and family along the 72-mile route. Photo: Louise Venables.
Exmouth RNLI volunteers were there to greet Cllr Venables as she crossed the finish line at the town’s lifeboat station. Photo: Louise Venables.
Cllr Venables described the walk, which included visiting Teignmouth lifeboat station too, as “physically and mentally demanding”.
“But I was very grateful for the support along the way,” she said.
“Friends joined me for sections of the route, keeping me company through the night and helping me through the final stretch.
“I was also met with a really lovely and unexpected reception at the finish.”
Louise Venables is pictured here with the Exmouth lifeboat volunteers.
Photo: Louise Venables.
Cllr Louise Venables, pictured here outside the Exmouth lifeboat station, said she took on the challenge to raise funds for the RNLI to show her appreciation for the charity’s selfless work. Photo: Louise Venables.
Exmouth’s RNLI goes as far back as 1803 when its first lifeboat came into service, but the station was lost to a storm in 1814. In 1858, the RNLI committed to re-establishing a station in the town, and the first RNLI lifeboat, Victoria, was launched.
RNLI figures revealed last month showed the charity saved 36 lives in 2025, as it stated it was battling a rising tide of emergencies, with call-outs increasing by 14 per cent in the past five years since 2020.
Across 24 regional stations, teams launched their lifeboats 1,493 times in 2025, rescuing 975 people caught in life-threatening conditions.
