A FUNDRAISING campaign to buy a new RNLI lifeboat for Minehead has taken a step nearer its target as a result of Porlock Weir’s Weirfest.

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

And meanwhile Minehead lifeboat shop volunteers Carol Scullion and Rose Owen handed over a further £200, raised at a coffee and cake morning at Maglands Road Social Club.

They presented a cheque to crew members 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 fund-raising 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.”