The Newbury and District Fundraising Branch of the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) held its annual Flag Day collection in Newbury town centre at the weekend and was delighted that the sunshine brought with it the generosity of the people of landlocked Newbury when the previous year’s record collection was beaten. This will provide sufficient funds to equip fully an all-weather crewman!

“A record breaking £1,440.20 is a great start to our new collection season,” commented Mick Foster, Chairman of The Newbury and District Fundraising Branch of the RNLI. “People often ask why we collect for the RNLI in a landlocked town like Newbury! Firstly, lots of us like to spend our holidays and leisure time – like the Easter bank holiday - by the sea. Whether you enjoy sailing, surfing or just messing about in the sea and on the beach, as the tv series ‘Seaside Rescue’ has shown, the Lifeboat Fleet and Beach Rescue crews are there if something goes wrong.

“In addition, although we are miles from the sea, the RNLI also has crews which work on the Thames! The RNLI is solely funded by donations, and every year the demands for the lifeboat services increases, so we are particularly pleased that people in our area recognise the value of these services and have given so generously to help us continue the fantastic work of the RNLI and the lifeboat crews.”

The Newbury and District Fundraising Branch of the RNLI is hoping to raise a further £20,000, over the coming year, through street collections, events, souvenir sales and other fundraising activities. “Anyone who has seen the lifeboats in action will know what a worthwhile cause the RNLI is,” said Jill Willson, Secretary of the Newbury and District Fundraising Branch of the RNLI. “So, this year we hope to encourage some new volunteers to give up an hour or so to help raise additional funds for us. Just a couple of hours of your time can make a difference!”