AN appeal to buy a lifeboat in memory of former West Somerset student Toby Rundle has been given a major boost.

Members of Minehead Lifeboat crew have agreed to give the entire proceeds of their largest annual fundraising event - the Blue Anchor to Minehead Raft Race - to the appeal fund.

They also plan to organise a street collection at another outdoor event in the summer and devote the takings from that to the appeal as well.

Traditionally, the raft race, which this year will be held on September 4, raises thousands of pounds for the RNLI.

And organiser Derek Williams said the crew had been unanimous in deciding that this year the money should go to the appeal to raise £160,000 in Toby's memory.

"We thought it was a cause that was well worthy of our support," Mr Williams said.

Toby, aged 21, from Williton, died last October in Oxford, where he had just started the final year of his Classics and English degree course.

His family chose to raise funds for a new Atlantic class lifeboat because Toby was a keen supporter of the RNLI.

His father, journalist Chris Rundle, served as a volunteer lifeboatman at Minehead for 20 years and said the family was "deeply touched" by the current crew's decision.

"The appeal is already going well and we are comfortably on track for the first £2,000, but there is an awfully long way to go," he said.

"A large donation like this is going to be invaluable and we are also very conscious of the publicity value of the gesture.

"Hopefully, that will spur more people to raise money for the appeal so the dream of funding a lifeboat in Toby's memory will become reality as soon as possible."