You, our generous readers, supported the Lynn News Hunstanton Lifeboat Appeal in your droves and in just 16 months have helped raise enough money to buy the town's RNLI station a new state-of-the-art Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat.

It's the best Christmas present the lifesaving volunteer crews could have asked for and one which will ensure lives are saved for years to come.

It also surprised thrilled RNLI fundraising bosses who expected it to take at least two, if not three years, to reach the appeal total.

A total of £130,000 has now been raised, and the wheels are finally in motion to get the boat commissioned and built.

Any money over and above the appeal total will go towards training the station's crew in using the new boat – at a cost of £1,000 each.

Tammy Allgood, area fundraising manager for the RNLI Eastern Region, said: "As chairman of the appeal I would like to say a big thank-you to everyone who has contributed,especially the readers of the Lynn News, Hunstanton Lifeboat Station and Hunstanton RNLI fundraising guild.

"I would also like to thank the Lynn News for keeping the appeal out in the local community and to the regular supporters, donors and fundraising events which have made the appeal such a success."

The station's operations manager Robin Rafferty added: "I think it's outstanding for the local people to have helped achieve getting the amount needed in just 16 months. The management team and the crew just can't thank everyone enough for their support."

Lynn News editor Malcolm Powell said readers had once again pulled out all the stops for the appeal, having previously raised a massive £66,000 for a helipad now in use by the East of England Air Ambulance at Lynn's Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

"Once again our readers have come up with the goods. We knew it was a cert as soon as we asked them to help such a worthwhile cause," he said.
"As a community newspaper covering a coastal area it was not only something that was close to our hearts but we knew it would be close to our readers' hearts too."

Readers raised money for the appeal in every way imaginable, including sponsored walks, bike rides and a parachute jump, concerts, sailing events, fashion shows, race nights and taking part in events such as the London Marathon and the 10km Great East Anglia Run in Lynn last May.

One of the biggest donations came from Hunstanton and District Round Table which donated around £5,000 raised from its Christmas Day swim last year.

The King William IV pub and restaurant in Sedgeford also donated around £5,000 after holding a fisherman's supper evening in February and an almighty 320-mile sponsored bike ride by head chef Richard Briscoe in May.

Another bumper donation of £2,000 came from the National Vintage Tractor and Engine Club which raised the money at its Stradsett Vintage Rally in May.

It was the second time the Denver-based club lent its support to the lifeboat appeal, having donated £150 raised from its working weekend last September.

The Atlantic 85 will replace the station's outdated Atlantic 75, DJS Haverhill, which has been in service since September 1998.

Faster than its predecessor, and with better handling in bad weather, the state-of-the-art Atlantic 85 will be able to respond to emergencies more rapidly, wherever they happen in The Wash.

It also has new radar search-and-rescue equipment, a self-righting mechanism, more space for casualties and crew and is capable of being beached in an emergency without causing damage to the engines and steering gear.

Not only will it help save the lives of fishermen, sailors, watersports enthusiasts or any one of the thousands who flock to the coast in the summer, it will also ensure the station's dedicated and volunteer crews come home safely.

Donations to the appeal can still be accepted until the end of the year, when the account will close. For more information contact the RNLI Eastern Region headquarters on 0800 543 210 and quote Hunstanton Lifeboat Appeal.