THE fundraising campaign to buy a new RNLI lifeboat for Minehead took a step nearer its target as a result of Porlock Weir’s Weirfest.

An RNLI pop-up shop there, plus donations and a raffle organised by RNLI supporters, brought in £1,300.

Meanwhile, Minehead lifeboat shop volunteers Carol Scullion and Rose Owen handed over a further £200 which was raised at a coffee and cake morning at Maglands Road Social Club in Watchet.

They are pictured presenting the cheque to crew members, from the left, Richard Huish, Matt Legg and Harry Mouzouri at the station’s recent volunteers’ barbecue night.

The station has been set the challenge of raising £52,000 for a new D class lifeboat to replace the existing one, which is due to be retired from service at the end of 2019.

The campaign suffered a setback earlier in the year when the project was refused support from the Hinkley Point C community impact mitigation fund, with panel members ruling that the lifeboat station was not a “community”.

But Minehead RNLI chairman Bryan Stoner said: “When you take into account the crew, the shop volunteers and the fundraising tram we actually are a community of more than 100 people.

“As things have turned out it was not that much of a problem because no sooner was the decision announced than a lot of private donations started rolling in from people right across the district who took the view that this was a fund which was well worth supporting.

“This is the third year traders at Porlock and Porlock Weir have put up all the prizes for our raffle at the Weirfest – and everyone at the station is immensely grateful for all the support we have been given by the local communities right across our operational area.”

Photo: RNLI/Chris Rundle